Die, Fall, Rise
by wickedworrior
Summary: Niko Constantin's organization has fallen, now something is trying to take its place. Steve and Natasha handle the fallout and tensions rise between them and Ross. Bucky deals with his future, and has to make choices that could change him, more than he wants. Baron Zemo uses the advantage of Bucky's file to gain power to rebuild Hydra, but for his new order. (Sequel to Supremacy.)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Here's the Prologue for the continuation, enjoy.**

 _ **Baron Zemo**_

 _Hamburg, Germany…_

The streets of Hamburg were busy bustling about. Zemo sat in the back of a very nice car. He stared out of the tinted windows as they passed people on the sidewalk. _Look at them, so innocent to the plans I have._

Zemo looked away from the window in distaste and he looked at the file in his hands. He hadn't been able to put it down for weeks. He studied every sentence, every word. Memorizing it. The car took a right and Zemo felt the shift in his equilibrium as the car took the turn sharply. _Could you drive to make me anymore uncomfortable? I need to deal with that driver later._

He looked away from the page he was re-reading and looked at the dark clouds that were rolling in. The edges slowly moving, like a huge boulder about to fall off the side of a cliff. He took a breath and looked back at the page. He stared at the picture of James Barnes. He was frozen and his face was blue as he was entombed in the cryo pod. Zemo smirked and slapped the file shut, he set it down next to him and he leaned forward slightly. His arm reaching down to grab his brief case that lay at his feet. His hand found the handle at the top and he pulled it up to his lap.

As he set it down the car took another sharp right. Zemo glanced up toward the driver, but, moved his attention back to the brief case. He unlocked it with the combination and the locks clicked open. He flipped it up and he grabbed the file. He slid it into the slot that would lie above the contents. He secured it and he brought the lid down with a light snap and he locked it back. He placed the brief case back down by his feet and the car took a left, a much better and smoother turn than the past two right one. _I may have been a little hasty with my earlier thought, but…_

He turned his attention back to himself, it was all he could do. He wasn't driving. So he took those thoughts of killing the driver and put them aside and he decided to think about the day's events. _Otto should call me soon._ Zemo looked down at himself, he was dressed quite nicely, which was by choice. He did have a party later that night. But his thoughts were more on the current situation. He saw the curb where the car was meant to stop. The driver took them in and slowed down and stopped next to the curb. Zemo grabbed his cane with the rounded tip and he pushed the door open. He grabbed his brief case as he got out of the car.

He felt the cool breeze as he shut the door and the driver drove away. He set the cane down and it clicked against the pavement. He looked at the building, his eyes followed the fine architecture up to the side of the roof. He smiled and walked forward. He noticed that the civilians got out of his way as he walked to the entrance. _They know their place._ Zemo got to the door and it opened for him. The doorman greeted him and for the boring conversation to end, he kept walking. Ignoring the man's remarks to take his coat. As he reached the main desk, he heard the man stop calling after him. _Finally, I don't have to smell his foul breath._

Zemo walked right past the main desk, one of the receptionists gave him a nod as he passed. He made sure he head people everywhere, and he did. He was focused on continuing that growth, but first he had to do something. He walked down the red carpeted floor and he found the brass colored elevator doors. He pressed the up arrow and waited for the elevator. It didn't take long till the door have a soft ring and the doors came apart. Zemo walked in and he turned to see someone following him. It was just a dumb guest, but as soon as he looked at him. He stopped and let him have the elevator to himself. Zemo couldn't help but smile as the doors closed and the elevator began the ascent. He tightened his grip on his cane. He needed information, and he was going to get it. His phone began to ring and he quickly answered it. "Otto?" he said

"Yes, Sir. We have him."

"Very good, I'll be there shortly"

Zemo ended the call and the elevator came to a stop. The brass doors opened and he walked out. Four of his men were standing in the hall, their suits looked nice. He felt like the president for a moment when they all fell in and walked behind him. Zemo walked along with his cane hitting the floor as he walked. He saw the door that was broken into, the hinges were broken and barley hanging on. "You cleared the floor?" he asked

"Yes, no one but us" one of his men answered.

He smiled. _Good, the more privacy the better._

The door welcomed him as he walked into the room, he saw Otto. He gave him a nod as he passed. Then Zemo saw the man he came so far to talk to. He was sitting in a chair and his hands were tied to the sides, his legs tied to the chair's legs. He would have been in a three piece suit, but he was just in a white dress shirt. His hair was sticking to his sweaty forehead. Zemo wasn't too surprised by the fact that he put up a fight. There was a second chair that sat right in front of him.

Zemo held back a chuckle. _Not a good time to laugh, I need information. No celebration yet._

He took his time to sit down, the party wasn't till late that night; he had plenty of time. Zemo set his brief case down next to the chair and he handed one of his men his cane. He tossed back his coat and one of his men caught it and held it in his arms. Zemo nodded "Thank you" he said and he inclined for his cane and his man handed it to him. He took it swiftly and he then clicked it on the wood floor twice and he took a seat. Zemo leaned back slightly "Any alcohol Otto?"

Otto was back after a minute "A bottle of rum"

Zemo cocked an eyebrow. _Strong stuff, I didn't take him for a drinker. But exile could do that._ He smiled "Pour a glass" he ordered and he turned his attention back to the man he wanted to talk to, leaving Otto to the task of finding a glass.

Zemo smirked and he cleared his throat slightly. The man looked up at him. "Hello, I see my men didn't handle you properly. This was meant to be a civilized meeting, but you changed the plans. I just wanted to let you know that it's your fault"

The man just stared at him, his mouth closed tightly, his lips thin with distaste. It only made Zemo want to laugh. _Ego can only get you so far._

He saw Otto hand him the glass, he took it and quickly took a swig of the rum. He felt the burn and he hummed slightly. He took a breath as the rum went down. "Well, now that I have had a drink. I'll assume you know who I am"

The man just squinted at him, Zemo chuckled "I know, what, am I doing squabbling around in the mud? But actually I am watching above the pit." _And you are in a very bad predicament._

"But I have a solution for you. You can join me and get along with the future. Or you can stay with your ego and then I'm just going to take what I want"

The man was silent for a long moment, his lips still as thin as ever. Zemo sat there patiently, he had time to wait, and silence never made him uncomfortable. "Well, I guess you don't want to join me" he said. The man tilted his head and Zemo sighed "You old men, never know when to talk or when to shut up. Right now it's time to talk"

The man was silent for another two minute and then opened his mouth to speak. Zemo punched him in the face before he could say anything. The man lurched to his right from the punch and he spit blood onto the floor along with a tooth. "You missed your chance" Zemo said. "You should have kept your mouth shut"

The man frowned at him, Zemo smiled, his eyes warm and charming. "So are you ready to talk?"

The man sat up slightly and spoke in a heavy German accent. "Hail, Hydra"

Zemo took a deep breath. _I hate it when they say that._

He looked at his cane in his hand. He took a deep breath and he grabbed the very end and he turned the body of the cane and he pulled out a sword and he drove it into the man's chest. The man groaned and grimaced, his teeth bare, his face contorted in pain and Zemo got close to him. "Now, my sword is in your aorta, if I pull it out, you'll bleed to death. Or I can leave it in and you can talk to me, and I can have a doctor up here to save you when I do pull it out."

The man's eyes were wide as he stared at the sword as the tip was embedded into his flesh. He looked at Zemo. "We're not animals" Zemo said calmly.

The man nodded, Zemo smiled "There, now we can get on with it" he let go of his cane and it bobbed slightly. Zemo sat back in his chair. "Talk"

The man nodded, he took a moment; his eyes on the blade as it sat there in his chest cavity. "What do you want to know?" he said awkwardly.

"Where are the Hydra bases in Russia, Germany, and England?"

"That is a long list"

"I have time" Zemo said with a smile.

"Well you do know they are abandoned"

"Yes, but they're still important to me"

Zemo listened carefully as the man spoke and told him where the bases were and he even told him he had maps in the closet. _I guess once a Nazi, always a Nazi._

Once the man had told him all he wanted to know, Zemo took a deep breath and he smiled. "Thank you for your cooperation"

The man nodded "The doctor?" he asked, his eyes glimmering with hope.

Zemo stood up and he nodded "Yes, Otto call the doctor to help save our new friend"

Otto stood completely still and didn't do anything. The man frowned as Zemo looked back at him with his warm eyes. "Ah I forgot, I killed the doctor" he said and he pulled his sword out and the man gasped and started to bleed to death and was soon dead from the massive blood loss. Zemo looked at the red blood on the three inches of the blade and he grabbed a table cloth. He wiped the blood away. "Clean up this mess Otto" he said

Zemo was to the door when Otto asked "Scene?"

He looked back and smiled as he had one of his men help him with his coat. "Scene"

Zemo left the room at that and was soon back in the elevator. The four men now with him. He exhaled, _well at least I gained more information. Should I have killed him, ah he was an old man, he only talked when he would have died. I don't want a man like that. I need better men, and I will have them soon._

The elevator doors opened and he walked out. The four men followed him closely. They went passed the receptionist. The place had the same demeanor as before, none the wiser that a dead man was in one of their rooms. Zemo was very pleased on how smoothly that went. He held his breath as he walked past the door man. The sidewalk was full of people. _Good, the more witnesses the better._

He made passed the mass of people and the car came around. It stopped and he opened the door and climbed in. The door clapped shut and he lowered the window. "Get the important documents out, but leave enough so they know what he was"

The men nodded and Zemo heard people scream and he looked as the man came flying down and smacked into the ground still in the chair. Zemo heard all the loud chatter and he smiled as the window closed. "Get us moving" he said to the driver.

The car took off down the street and took a right. Zemo sat back slightly and he closed his eyes. He fell asleep with a smirk on his lips.

The drive didn't last long, so that also meant that his brief moment of sleep was over like he blinked. He was in his hotel room, he was staring out the window, a glass of vodka in his hand. Zemo took a swig and he stared at the motions below, all the cars and people. Like insects beneath his feet. He rather enjoyed watching the everyday problems of traffic. _The whole world could be on fire, and someone would still complain about some driver being an asshole. I guess they don't care that much about anything but themselves. And that's how I'll get them._

There was a knock at the door that brought him out of his thoughts. Zemo looked back at the door and he sighed. He looked at the remaining vodka in his glass and he drank the rest of it with a big gulp and he set the glass down. The floor was comfortable as he walked across the room. Sadly he would be leaving soon. But it was necessary to be able to move forward. He glanced at the TV as the news was on, the sound was low but all he had to do was read the headline: _Man murdered and thrown out of a window, linked to Nazis._

Zemo smirked at it. _A Nazi in Germany, how ironic._ He reached the door and opened it. Otto was standing behind the door, three other men were with him, each holding a box of what he assumed as files. Zemo welcomed them in and he closed the door behind Otto. "I see our work is on the news" Otto said

Zemo rounded the couch that looked on to the TV. "Yes, well done."

"I still don't see how this will help us"

"Well, Germany is now focused on the fact that someone killed a Nazi and threw him out a window. They'll be stuck on that for days."

"So it's a distraction?" Otto said

"Yes, in a way. Also because that man betrayed my father"

"Revenge?"

"Retribution. Now the files that you've brought" Zemo said walking over to pour himself more vodka. _Let's move onto more important matters than why I killed someone._ Otto followed him slightly, his head inclined toward the bedroom, Zemo's cane was sitting next to a chair. Zemo noticed what he was looking at. "It was a gift from my Grandfather to my father, then to me"

Otto nodded "Very nice"

"It actually used to be a sword with a hilt and everything. I had the blade moved to the cane, much more usable that way."

"Who gave it to your Grandfather?"

Zemo took a long sip from his glass. He breathed and walked over and grabbed the cane. It was heavy in his hand when he first used it, but now it felt like a feather. "My Grandfather said it came from a country in Africa." He said and he pulled the blade out of the cane again. The blade was thick and strong. "When I first used it, I thought the blade was what was heavy, but it was the material of the cane's handle. The blade is made out of Adamantium"

Otto widened his eyes slightly. Zemo nodded "I knew a man who was a specialist in it, William Striker, he died." He looked at the blade fondly "I could slice Tony Stark in half if I swung hard enough. At least cut through his armor. Titanium alloy, such an advanced metal, but nothing like Adamantium."

Zemo sheathed the sword and he locked the top of the cane in place so the word wouldn't fly out. He set it back down and looked at Otto. "Now, the files"

Otto nodded "There are maps of the locations of the Hydra bases, the man was telling the truth"

"I figured as much" he said. "Now, I assume you have a question?" he asked. _Otto always had a question. I'm still not sure if he's just stupid, or if he just wants to have all the facts. I can't say I blame him, I would want the same thing if I was in his position. So I'll tell him._

"Yes, Baron. Why are you so interested in old abandoned Hydra bases that haven't been used since the time of Red Skull?"

"Yes, Schmidt. The man that started Hydra, a moron."

"Well he was a scientist Sir, not entirely a moron"

"His plan was idiotic, no vision."

"What is your vision Sir?"

Zemo turned to look at him "To see Hydra back at the top. My Grandfather and my father were both part of Hydra, I stayed out of it."

"This I know Sir"

"Yes, and Armin Zola re-created Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D. A very ambitious plan that paid off. Till they got lazy and let Steve Rogers catch onto their plan."

"What if Steve Rogers catches onto yours?"

Zemo smirked "He won't. He's too busy being the leader of the Avengers and now he is at odds with Secretary Ross. Hydra will rise up from the ashes that Rogers made. And this time, he won't be able to stop it"

"You sound over confidant Sir"

"No, it's just something I know. Hydra, hail Hydra. What a stupid sentiment" _I have Ross right where I want him, and he doesn't even know it._

Otto frowned slightly. Zemo looked at his face and chuckled "Does that bother you?"

"Just… different"

Zemo nodded. _And we'll be better for it._ "My Grandfather and father both sprouted the saying and the famous 'cut off one head and two will take its place'"

"It is what the Hydra does in mythological lore"

"Yes, and with the more heads, the more dangerous it becomes. Yet the more stupid is also grows. Red Skull took control of Germany, Armin Zola took control of S.H.I.E.L.D. I…I will take control of the one thing no one would ever dream of doing"

"And what is that Baron?" Otto asked

He took another sip of vodka and swallowed. "In due time. I want the car ready in a few hours. We have a party to attend"

Otto sighed slightly and nodded "Yes Sir"

Zemo heard, him, and the men leave the room and closed his eyes. _I will control everyone, but first I need more men, and the arms and equipment in those Hydra bases. My Hydra will reign supreme, and Captain America won't be able to stop it._

He obtained another hour of sleep and took a shower. He was buttoning his shirt when Otto came again. He had the car ready and whenever he was ready to leave they would Zemo nodded and Otto left him alone again. Zemo looked out over Hamburg, the city was bright with the night lights. A storm was rolling in, they would be at the party before it hit though. He grabbed his cane and walked toward the door, looking back at the city lights. He took a breath and left the room.

The descent was uneventful, Zemo felt like sleeping in the car, but he needed to have his wits about him. He couldn't be half asleep when he turned up at this party. They were leaving Hamburg and there was a large building on the outskirts. The party was already started, bit he wasn't here for the wine and women. He had no time for women, they were nothing but a distraction, and since his wife died. He didn't really think about his sex life, and he really didn't care. The car drove up the long gravel driveway and they pulled up to the front of the large palace like structure.

Zemo pushed the door open and he climbed out of the car. His cane touched the gravel and he looked back as Otto followed him. Otto closed the door as he ordered the man to leave. Zemo began the walk up the steps that had a red carpet adorned down them. He sighed at the fanciness. He preferred his own house. But he wasn't here for enjoyment, all of this was just a means to an end. _And I need to sneak into this place anyway. I am able to party, but the meeting that I know is going down, I wouldn't want to be invited to. They are my competition anyway._

Zemo showed his face to the man with the list and he gave him a nod. He wasn't on the list, but they knew who he was, he was one of the honored guests. Giving money to charity usually does that. The man smiled at him "Welcome Mr. Evanier"

"Good to be here" Zemo said

He got passed them and he walked into the building and was instantly met with waiters with oeuvres. He did take a glass of champagne. The entryway was full of smiling people, they had no idea what was about to happen under their feet. He was soon cornered by a heavy set man with a woman on his arm that he didn't have to guess he paid to be there. "Mark" he said, Champagne in one hand, whore in the other.

Zemo smiled "Frederick." Frederick let go of the whore to shake his hand. Zemo glanced at the whore and she smiled. _At least she's trying to enjoy the party, if I was her. I'd start drinking immediately._

Frederick oblivious to the fact that Zemo wasn't paying any attention to him. "Well, it is nice to see one of our biggest donors"

"My wife was a big supporter of yours. So am I."

"Well your thoughts and donation are greatly appreciated. Listen Mark, I have a question for you"

Zemo glanced back at Otto, who was staying a safe distance away, not drawing any attention. _I guess I have to deal with Frederick before I can join the meeting. I have time._ He smiled "Anything"

Frederick smiled, his cheeks growing red, maybe more from the lack of oxygen than joyfulness, yet maybe it was both. "Ah good, I thought I'd have to convince you"

"Well I'm sure I'd say yes, but Fred, what is it?" _Just tell me what I need to do you fat bastard. I'm only here for the meeting and I only donate to your charity in honor of my wife's memory._

Frederick still oblivious to Zemo's silent distain for him. "I was hoping you could give a speech on our behalf, you are our biggest donor"

Zemo took a breath. _Damn_ _._ He smiled "I'd be honored"

Frederick laughed a big hearty laugh, Zemo hoped he started choking, but he didn't. "Thank you, now it'll be quite soon, I don't want to stop the party for very long."

"Nor should you" Zemo said, gripping the cane tightly. _I could cut your head off right now, that'd be something no one would forget, but I have more important matters than your fat ass._

Zemo was then directed toward the ballroom. He was almost being dragged along like the whore. He suddenly felt sympathy for her, she was the one who had to suck his cock later. Frederick led them through the mass of guests and the music was loud and Zemo liked hearing it more than his labored breathing as he walked through the crowd. Frederick then left them standing side by side as he went to get a mike for the speech that would happen in the next half hour. Zemo glanced at the whore. Her eyes glanced at him, then at the door.

He smiled "If you're thinking about leaving, now would be the time" he said

She looked at him, caught off guard. "What, no. Just looking at everyone" she said, her eyes glanced back toward the exit. Zemo didn't miss a thing. "How much is he paying you?"

"I'm not an escort" she said

"I know, you're a whore" Zemo said with a soft smile. She frowned at him, he noted that she didn't hit him. "How much?" he asked again. _I sure hope it's a lot._

She was silent for another long moment, long enough for the music to stop for a few seconds. "200,000" she said

"You're quite an expensive whore"

"I'm not a whore"

"Okay, not an escort, and not a whore. Slut." Zemo said bluntly "Although I'm sure sluts don't get paid"

She rolled her eyes "Escort" she said

"I figured, Frederick could never get a woman with your beauty by himself, the incompetent prick."

She giggled slightly, Zemo glanced over at Frederick; he seemed to be struggling with the mike. He held back a laugh. "I would either start drinking, or get him very drunk so he passes out and you don't have to experience a very uneventful evening."

"He does want me to sleep with him"

"If he could find his cock" Zemo said

She smirked and held back a laugh. "You seem to not like him very much"

"I'm only here because of my wife"

"Is she here tonight?" she asked, her eyes wandering around the room.

"She died"

She lowered her head slightly "Oh"

"It was a long time ago, anyway I think he's finally figured the mike out"

Zemo heard Frederick's voice fill the room as he spoke into the mike. He started with a joke, that to his credit was quite funny, and then he went on about the charity. Zemo didn't really listen, then his name came to his ears. Then a very loud round of applause. Zemo walked forward and smiled at everyone. He walked onto the small stage that Frederick stood on with the mike in his direction. He smiled and took Frederick's hand and shook it again and took the mike.

"Love the joke Fred." he said

Frederick patted him on the shoulder. _How I want to break those fat sausage fingers._

"Now, thank you for the applause, but really. Its Fred we should applaud, his charity does good work throughout the entire world. My late wife believed in this very strongly, and so do I."

There was a round of applause and he smirked "Well when I walked in here, Fred here damn near ran me over to get me to speak, I'm not much of a public speaker, but I want to congratulate him and all of you for contributing to the cause. This charity really is great and I look forward to the years ahead and the more that we can do"

There was a very loud and long applause after that. Zemo saw Otto at the back and he inclined his head. He nodded "Now I don't want to keep you, this is your night, enjoy it. We start work again tomorrow"

Zemo walked off the stage and he quickly made his way away from Frederick and the whore, and everyone else that he really couldn't give a damn if they all died. He was soon next to Otto. "Good speech" he said

"Well, nothing like appealing to the masses"

"The meeting is almost ready to start"

"Then let's get down there"

Otto nodded and they both went to the west wing and were soon by themselves. Zemo looked to the right and he noticed a woman. Her long black hair was down to her mid-back. Her dress was long as well. And he could have sworn he recognized her. Then she glanced back and he knew who it was. _That's one of Fury's old Agents. What is she doing here? Fury is out of the game._

He frowned and Otto glanced at him "What?"

"Nothing" he said

Zemo kept the fact that he knew her to himself as they came to a door. Zemo saw that it recently closed. Him and Otto soon entered and were met with two men that stopped them. "Identification" one said

Zemo smiled "Rick, George"

They both widened their eyes "Baron?" Rick asked

"Yes" he said

"Go on in"

Zemo nodded and he and Otto made it through. Otto sighed "You really have friends everywhere don't you?"

"You can never have enough friends, my father taught me that"

"Well, it's paying off" Otto said as they walked down a wide flight of stairs with white rock long the wall. They were in and now Zemo was going to pay attention to every word.

The hidden chamber underneath the large palace was like a palace on its own. Fully furbished and it even had rooms for guests. Zemo knew that they used this to conduct their meetings and as a base of operations for a short window of time. They had no control on what got reserved up above, but the chamber was so far down that it didn't matter. It felt like a whole other world. Otto was keeping a close eye on everyone they passed. "Relax Otto, if they wanted us dead, we'd be dead"

"Yes Baron" Otto said, yet he still kept his eyes on everyone. Zemo just ignored it and let him carry on. They both joined the large mass of people who were moving up the two large staircases that had a dark burgundy carpet over the white marble steps. Otto keeping an eye out, while Zemo kept his straight ahead. They got to the top of the stairs and were directed with the others to the main chamber. Zemo entered through the large doorway that had large curtains as doors. He came to seats, everyone was sitting down in their seats. Zemo glanced back at Otto, he was staring at the size of the chamber. _He's never seen it before._ Zemo saw two seats toward the front and he had Otto follow him and they quickly sat down. Zemo looked down over the balcony and a large table was in the center of the chamber. Long and rectangular, chairs were set up every few feet. Each for one of the heads. But there were three on the east side of the table and only one on the west side. Zemo knew that the three were for the real heads, and the one at the other end was for the one who would lead them. _I'm surprised I still remember all this, it has been years since I've been to one of these._

Zemo kept quiet as he waited for the meeting to commence. Everyone on the balconies on the north and south face were seated and the heads were seated. Only four chairs were empty. Down below at the table, the three and the one at the other end. _The leaders always make an entrance, as usual._

The chamber became very quiet, you could hear if someone was breathing too loud. Zemo looked at the other balcony and he spotted the woman that was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. _She might be here for Fury, keeping an eye on things. But I don't remember her joining back up._

He turned his attention back to the main table as the doors to the chamber opened. Everyone turned their heads to see the three as they entered. Zemo noted that the three were different than his last time there. They walked toward their chairs, their shoes barely clicking against the stone floor. They took their seats and then a long moment of silence was followed by another door opening. Zemo darted his eyes to the other side of the chamber. In came a man with tall stature, and broad shoulders. He clad in back and his face was hidden behind a mask, his reddish hair cut very short. He also took a seat. _They have a new one._

The meeting started with one of the many seated around the table talking about their meeting. Then another spoke. "Are we not here to speak about what has happened recently?"

Another spoke "The recent attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. do, give many of us concern"

One of the three raised their hand slightly and everyone stopped talking. Everyone seemed to be waiting on the voice of the man and then the one in the center spoke. "I called this meeting, because of what happened two months ago" his voice was heavy and Zemo deduced that he was slightly Middle Eastern, but he hid it very well. "We are all interested in what Niko Constantin did"

"What he did was cause every government to become even more watchful of secret activities" one of the many seated at the table said.

"Niko Constantin was not a good man, but he used to sit at this very table" another said

"Yes, his seat is now filled"

The middle of the three spoke again "His organization was a supporter of ours"

One of the many seated laughed harshly "He didn't support us, he threatened us all with death. He asserted his authority as the leader of Red Room, his power was infinite."

"Which he rightfully obtained if you have forgotten. After the Soviet Union fell in 1991, that January Niko was the only remaining member of Red Room"

"You have forgotten the Black Widow"

"Natalia Romanova stopped being in Red Room when she defected"

"Winter Soldier" another said

"Winter Soldier was never fully tied to Red Room, he was loaned by Hydra"

"And yet he is no longer part of Hydra, Alexander Peirce lost control of his assassin, and now his seat is also empty but filled. Hydra is no longer part of these meetings, if anything Hydra should just be put out of its misery already, they have scratched by"

Zemo smirked. _Not for long._ The bickering continued and then the one of the three stood and everyone shut their mouths. _At least they know who has the authority._ The man spoke, his voice was soft, but firm. "We are not here to bicker and whine, we are here for what Niko Constantin did."

The one in the center looked at him and he closed his mouth and took his seat. The one in the center rubbed his eyes. "Niko Constantin did what many of us would never do, and because he did it. The world governments will start to prepare for something like it again, but…Niko's organization was destroyed. This has left a very large gap of no control."

 _They're going to go for a power grab, well, let the best organization win._ Zemo thought as the man continued. "It has been years since we could gain any more power than we already have"

"We have enough" one interjected

The man looked at the man who said it "We cannot allow this to go to waste. All of the power we could obtain, we'd be mad not to."

"Many of us rely on this organization, like the Hand" one said in Mandarin.

"This is a risky move, but we have a new Ronin."

"Our last one wasn't great"

"Well this one is"

They all turned their heads at the man who was sitting at the other end of the table. He looked at them all and spoke, his voice deepened by the mask. "With our new found power, we could bring something about that we'd been planning for years"

"And what would that be, many of our plans are nothing but thoughts, never going anywhere."

Ronin looked at the man and stood to his feet. He walked around the table and toward the man. Everyone seemed to shrink as he walked toward them. Zemo looked on with interest. Ronin approached the man and looked down at him "Your last Ronin was weak, yes. But I am not"

The man got to his own feet and looked at into Ronin's eyes and it took him a moment to gather his words. "What is it that you plan?"

"A war" Ronin said

"Between who?"

"Russia and Japan"

The entire table erupted into loud voices. Zemo held back a smiled as he watched from above. The man who looked Ronin in the face turned his loud voice onto Ronin. "We control things from behind the scenes, we're not war starters; we're war profiteers"

Ronin cocked an eyebrow "This will happen, with or without you" he said loudly. This caused everyone to stop talking and look at him. Ronin looked at everyone "It is time for the Dark Ocean Society to rise to the top. Red Room, Hydra, Department X, A.I.M. All gone, but we're still here. The power is there and all we have to do is reach out and take it"

"This will reveal us to the world" the man said

"No it won't, the governments of the world had no idea of Niko Constantin's organization, not until he told them himself and it was only Nick Fury, who is gone. We won't have another chance like this"

"I won't be part of this" the man said

Ronin gave him a long stare and he nodded and put his hand on the man's shoulder "That is your choice"

The man frowned, but nodded. Ronin squinted and he brought the man in and he drove a knife into his chest. The man exclaimed in pain as blood poured down his suit. Ronin put his head next to his " There, you're not part of it"

The man tried breathed, but each breath hurt. Ronin pulled the knife out and set the man back down into his chair. Everyone watched as Ronin shushed the man and patted his shoulder as he started to bleed to death. Ronin put his knife back and looked at the others "Who all agree to gain the power that we deserve?"

There was no movement for a long time, then the first hand rose. Then another and another. Soon the others gained courage to raise their hands as well. Zemo sat back slightly and he looked at the table as each hand was up in the air. He made a small sound of approval. He glanced at Otto, he was reserved and his eyes drifted to Ronin. _What an interesting man._ He looked at the other balcony and he noticed that the woman was getting up and walked away as the rest remained seated. Zemo squinted with interest. _Where are you going?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** **I know it has been forever. I've been busy with College and writing my first novel. But now I wanted to get back into this.**

 _ **Steve**_

It had been weeks after the events with Sean, Yelena, and Niko. The effects could still be felt though. Washington D.C. was still in the middle of its relief of the Capital, along with numerous national monuments. The Avengers were credited for saving the city, like they had been for New York all the years prior, but between the Avengers and Ross. It was all their fault, although many of Ross's colleagues didn't see it that way. New York was also healing. Something was always happening in New York though.

Steve and Tony did all they could with helping with the rebuilding of the cities. Stark Tower was gone, and Tony didn't seem interested in building another. Steve never liked the ugly building in the first place, but he never wanted it to go down in smoke. Steve was now well situated at doing his tasks. Although he still hated the paperwork. But it was early morning in August and the sun hadn't even come up yet as he lied there in bed. Steve would have been asleep usually, but he had been losing his ability to sleep. He'd been giving his life a lot of thought since he saw Sean Richardson get hit by a train.

So much had changed in only a few years, and the parts he loved the most were because of the woman lying next to him. Steve glanced at Natasha's back, her red hair increasing its length and he saw the subtle movements of her breathing. He sighed softly, he turned his eyes back to the ceiling. The dark grey abyss stared back at him. For a moment, he thought he could see the outline of Sean Richardson, his face stared back at him from the dimly lit ceiling. Steve thought back to when he saw him shooting at the crowds on the street, how he rushed in to stop him, and how he mistaken Sean for someone like him. But Sean had been through a strained experiment and he was far stronger than Steve was and won rather easily. The end result was a car hitting him. Plus, a coma and being in a wheel-chair for a while, while the remaining parts of his spine healed.

His thoughts suddenly jumped back to Natasha. He looked over at her again, she hadn't moved since he looked away. He put his eyes back on the ceiling and then he felt the soft sensation of her hand on his arm. Natasha turned and looked at him. Her emerald eyes not showing any signs of her being groggy from sleep. "If you keep thinking so loudly, I may have to drug you."

Steve smirked. "Like that one mission?"

Natasha smiled mischievously. "Yes, I remember that mission fondly."

"Yeah, Fury wasn't sure how much to give me due to my metabolism. And you guys gave me too much. I had slurred speech and a dry tongue for three hours."

"Don't forget the headache." Natasha added.

"I left that part out."

Natasha sighed and scooted closer to him. Steve moved his arm, pulling her in close. Their bodies touched and Steve felt her naked leg wrap around his own. He kissed her head and took a deep breath. All of it being her, her hair never lost its lavender smell. Natasha rested her hand on his chest, feeling Steve's heart against her palm; one of the things that comforted her the most. Steve stared at the ceiling. "Ross is still mad."

"Well, when you apparently let a mad man attack Washington D.C. That usually leaves an effect on people."

"Yeah, only we didn't let him. We had no real intel. One of these days Ross and me are going to get into a screaming match. I can tell every time we talk, he just wants to yell."

"Well if he's smart, he won't. You are much more physically superior to him."

Steve gave her a look. Natasha sighed. "Okay, I know you'd never get into a fight with an old man."

Steve chuckled. "You always find a way to get an insult in there."

"I had to learn, living with Tony Stark. Had to be on my toes."

"More or less when we got together?"

Natasha sighed with annoyance. "Do I even have to let you guess. Of course, it became more difficult when you and me became…a thing. Tony was always trying to see if we were you know…"

"Having sex."

"Yes, having sex. God, I love having you inside me" Natasha said softly as her head went back.

"Well the feeling is returned." Steve said with a smile. Natasha chuckled. "Rogers, I'm the only person you've ever had sex with."

"All the same, I love you, I love your eyes," he said, his hand rising to touch her cheek. "I love your nose" he ran his finger down it. "I love your lips, especially when you smile, I love how your eyebrows get furrowed whenever I say something naïve. I love talking to you, what don't I love about you?"

"You know, I ask myself that question all the time. I don't deserve someone as loving as you."

Steve looked at her and her words made his heart ache, he frowned. "But you do."

Natasha looked at him and nodded. "You're the only one who says that."

"It's the truth."

Natasha kissed him and put her forehead against his. She hummed softly. "And I love that about you, even if it does make professional relationships troublesome."

Steve shook his head. "Okay, you're getting it for that." He grabbed Natasha and pulled her on top of him. She yelped and laughed as he kissed her. He may have kissed nothing but teeth, but he kissed her all the same. Natasha kissed his shoulder and kissed his chest. She kept kissing him. She looked down at him and his hands wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him. She loved that feeling, it made her feel safe. Steve moved his hand to her cheek and lightly rubbed her ear. Her red hair hung around her face and the ends tickled his neck and face. "I'm yours." He said.

She smiled as she leaned in to kiss him. "And I'm yours." It was cheesy and she knew it, but she loved being cheesy with Steve. They kissed and Steve moved his hands down to her waist and she maneuvered and found him and she settled herself on him. Her mouth opened, her breath escaping her as she took him inside her. Steve moaned as he felt her all around him, he closed his eyes as she began to move.

 _ **Bucky**_

He was, awake long before the sun had even started to think about rising. He couldn't sleep. Not anymore. The few hours he'd get, weren't good. So, he spent most of his nights up and about his room. He tried sitting at the desk, but whenever he looked at the bed, he kept expecting to see Hill there, staring at him, a smile on her face. Her long brown hair down, he soon abandoned the desk and went to doing push-ups. Trying to get himself tired, although he knew that would be difficult, but it kept his mind off Hill.

Eventually the push-ups would fail and his mind would crawl back to Hill. He then moved to doing sit-ups. Which didn't last as long as push-ups. Mostly because once he thought about Hill, it was all his mind would go to. As he crunched his core and lifted himself he would see Hill's face, her pale face. All the blood from her drained from the bullet wound that Niko gave her. Bucky heard her scream and his eyes slammed shut. He fell back and his back hit the floor with a thud. Bucky opened his eyes, her scream faded away and he took deep breaths as he stared at the ceiling. He was beginning to sweat, so he got up and got dressed.

That was how he found himself on the upper floor, looking out the long glass window. He stared out into the darkness. He could see the faint shifting of the trees from the wind. He knew the sun rose on this side of the building. Stark built a base with a view. Typical Stark. Bucky crossed his arms and his right hand rested on the cold metal of his bionic arm. It was only cold for a minute, then it took on the same heat of his hand. His hair was getting long again, he hadn't cut it since the month before the mission in Washington.

He closed his eyes and he held his breath. He felt a piercing cold jolt of pain in the back of his head and he felt it reverberate in his feet. Bucky opened his eyes and thought about the cryo tube he was kept in when he was still under the influence of Hydra. He quickly casted those away and thought about the first time he saw Hill, or rather the first time he kissed her. Down in the Engine Room of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Bucky found himself never letting Maria far from his thoughts. Even after the weeks of mourning, he still couldn't get her out of his head and the memory of her, hurt more than any Hydra memory. But it was also the happiest thing he could think about, besides the forties with Steve.

Bucky turned around and leaned against the railing that sat back a few feet from the window. He looked down the halls of the Facility. He was still in the living quarters, he thought about trying to get some sleep, but the idea of letting his mind stray as he would lie there, just made him more awake. So, he stayed up and kept looking out the window, thinking about his life and how much it had changed in such little time.

 _ **Wanda**_

The night was beginning to turn to day and Wanda was asleep in her room. Her face half engulfed by the soft pillows that Tony provided. Wanda shifted in her sleep and she turned from her side onto her back. Her hair hugged her face as she slept and her head shifted. Her hands twitched as her breathing became more labored. Wanda was having a dream.

 _She wasn't in her twenties anymore. She stood there in her home, a proud little girl. Her twin brother was lying on the couch, his arms resting behind his head. She watched Pietro closely as he clicked his tongue, they were waiting for their father to get home. They spent much of their early years like this, waiting. Wanda found herself something to do, she was sitting at the dining room table, a small metal table that could barely fit a family of four, but they made due. She was doing one of her favorite puzzles, but it was becoming increasingly boring since she'd put it together before, more like six times. It was becoming too easy._

 _Wanda heard a car door shut, she looked up and the last piece of the puzzle was in her fingers. Pietro sat up from the couch and got to his feet. Wanda stayed seated at the table, they then heard the keys in their father's hand. Pietro stood a few feet from the door, the key went into the lock, then there was nothing. No turn of the key, the door remained locked. Wanda looked back at the hallway that her mother walked out of. She had a laundry basket in her arms and as soon as she saw them, the laundry basket was dropped to the floor. Their mother looked at them both and she screamed. Wanda covered her ears as the door flew open and in walked a tall, lurking figure. Too tall to be their father. Then its red eyes looked at Pietro. Wanda felt her heart jump as Ultron grabbed Pietro and took him by the throat and helped him up. Their mother screamed and Ultron shot her in the chest. She flew back into the wall and fell to the floor, tears coming out her eyes._

 _Pietro struggled against Ultron's metal hand and he squeezed. Pietro wriggled and fought against his grip, but he soon found it hard to breathe. He became very red and looked like he was turning a sickening blue color. Ultron shushed him as Pietro lessened his fight and Ultron crunched his throat. Wanda watched as her brother went limp and Ultron dropped him to the floor. Pietro's eyes looked at her, bloodshot and his face blue. She still had her ears covered. Ultron walked forward and stood at the head of the table._

 _Wanda took her hands away from her ears and looked at the door, her father's shoes could be seen, he was lying on the ground. Ultron took a step closer to her. Wanda sat there. Petrified. "Come with me." Ultron said, his voice sounding the same as ever. Wanda found her hands trembling. Ultron's metallic lips curved into a smile. "Come, my friend."_

 _Wanda pushed herself away from the table, the chair scooted harshly against the floor. Ultron kept the smile up, and he reached out his hand. Wanda got off the chair and walked toward him, her hands trembling. Ultron nodded. "Come and see, come and see."_

 _Wanda took Ultron's huge metal hand and they both walked toward the door, hand in hand. They left the house and stood on the street. Wanda saw the sky darken and turn red. Ultron chuckled. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"_

 _Wanda looked at him and he looked down at her. She saw the street, it was metallic, just like Ultron. She saw lights off in the distance of the new metallic world. Ultron sighed. "This is what the world needs, and it. It needed me."_

 _She frowned at his words and Ultron knelt down. "There are no strings on me. You my friend, all the strings are on you. Just cut them loose." Ultron looked at the red sky. "I can do that for you, just come with me."_

 _Her voice was quiet. "Pietro."_

 _"He was rooted in the same dirt as the others, but you my friend. You have the potential, just cut your strings."_

 _Wanda backed away from Ultron and he slowly lowered his hand. His red robotic eyes staring at her, almost like he was sad. Her breathe felt cold and he stood, towering over her. "My mistake, you my dear. Have too many strings."_

 _Ultron formed his hand into a blade and Wanda opened her mouth to scream as he drove it into her chest._

Wanda opened her eyes and all the furniture in the room clattered to the floor. She was breathing heavily and grabbing at her chest. Tears were streaming out of her eyes and her room was a mess. She shivered as the cold air made contact with her sweat and chilled her to the bone. Wanda brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her hands around her ankles. She rested her head on her knees. She shivered as the dream stayed in her mind. Her teeth chattered as she felt her heart calming down. The pain in her chest was also fading. Wanda raised her head and looked around the room. She raised her right hand and the red aura surrounded it and then the room put itself back to normal.

Wanda got up from her bed and walked into her bathroom. Her tank top and shorts were drenched in sweat. She tore them off and her hair was soaked with her sweat as well. Wanda turned on the shower and climbed in. She stayed under the hot water for a time, but she soon heard Ultron's words. _"No strings on me."_

She turned as if he was there, but he wasn't. Wanda felt her chest tighten and her throat became dry as tears came to her eyes. She held back the sobs as she washed her hair. She saw Pietro's face from the dream and soon broke down. She got to her knees and cried as the warm water washed over her and the suds rinsed from her hair. She cried as Ultron smiled at her. She cried as her mother's chest was blown apart by the blast from Ultron. Her hand went up and the water stopped. She sat there, her wet hair hugging her face as she cried it all away.

Wanda stood in the center of her room and sniffed as she pulled a shirt over her head. She pulled up the jeans and buttoned them. Wanda looked to see what time it was, the sun would be up soon. She closed her eyes and felt around the Facility, she wanted to know if anyone was up. She felt around the living quarters and she found Steve and Natasha to both be awake and she felt their minds. She suddenly felt her whole-body shiver and she quickly pulled away from them. _Okay, having sex._ She moved on and she soon found someone standing in the upper levels, staring out a window. It was Bucky.

Her eyes opened and she left her room. Wanda walked throughout the quiet Facility. She thought about going to where Bucky was, but she felt his emotions, he was sad, but happy. She knew he was thinking about Hill, his emotions bled those happy and sad thoughts whenever he thought about her. Wanda went to the lounge first, but soon found the solitude lacking. She decided after visiting the kitchen, the training room, and the Hangar that she wanted to talk to someone, but she couldn't sleep. It was still early, so against her better judgement she walked up to the upper levels and she found Bucky standing at the end of the hall, leaning against the railing, his back to her.

She approached, her feet making soft thuds as she got closer. Bucky didn't even react to her. "Can't sleep?" he asked. Wanda froze, and started walking again. She got next to him and looked out the window, the trees were becoming lighter with the sun starting its journey upward. "Yeah, I spent some time around the place, but…"

"The place lacks a certain, homely feel." Bucky said. "Or we spend too much time awake and alone."

Wanda put her hands on the railing. "I will admit the Facility has a certain look to it, the only place that looks homely are the quarters."

"I would agree. So, what caused you to be up?"

Wanda thought back to her dream, Ultron's smile. She shivered. "Bad dream."

Bucky nodded. "I know what that's like."

Wanda wanted to ask him what was keeping him awake, but she knew it was Hill. Bucky had grown more distant over the past weeks. He was quiet and rarely ever talked. In fact, this was the longest conversation she'd had with him since he showed her how to shoot a gun. Bucky looked at her. "Must have been some dream, your paler than when I last saw you."

"You can tell that I'm paler?" Wanda asked. Bucky nodded. "Yeah, the serum that was developed for me…well you know. It enhanced my senses, one being my eyesight. Your cheeks aren't as flush as they usually are."

"And when are my cheeks flushed?" Wanda asked, crossing her arms. Bucky smiled. Wanda couldn't help but begin to smile back. "Well, whenever you get to training, and when…" Bucky almost said it, but he stopped. He looked back out the window. "It's funny. After I came back. I worked with Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. Then I worked with the Avengers. Dealing with Niko, Yelena, and Sean. And now, I don't know what to do. It all seemed to wrap itself up."

"I know what you mean, Steve just has us training, it feels like the months after Natasha left looking for Bruce. It was training, and more training."

"Steve knows what he's doing, and training is good. Keeps you ready, plus it's good to work out."

"I haven't seen you in there."

Bucky nodded. He took a breath. "I've been dealing with some things."

"Sorry, I know. I didn't mean for it…"

Bucky shook his head. "It's okay. I see your point. You think I'm letting myself go."

Wanda looked at him and he looked at her, a wide smile on his face. "Not funny." Wanda said, holding back a smile. Bucky leaned back and stood up straight. "Well, I'll be there today. How about that?"

"Good." Wanda said with a nod. Bucky turned and looked at her. She looked at him, his blue eyes stared at her. She swallowed and he throat tightened slightly. She looked at the stubble that was growing on Bucky's face, and his metal arm. It was holding onto the railing. Bucky took a breath as they both held their gazes. There was a moment when Wanda noticed something peaked in Bucky's emotions, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. He broke the silence with; "how's Pietro?"

Wanda came out of her stare and blinked. Thinking of what to say. "He's good. Still knew to the time gap that he missed, but he's being regular Pietro."

"I'm happy you got him back."

Wanda smiled and nodded. "Thank you, well. I'll leave you to it."

Bucky nodded. "See you at training."

Wanda backed away and nodded. "Right." She walked away and she sighed as Bucky looked back out the window. Bucky saw the beams of light from the sun begin to pull the clouds away. He took a deep breath and smirked. The smile quickly faded as he thought about what the doctor told him after he brought Hill's body back from the Behemoth.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Baron Zemo**_

 _Washington D.C…._

Zemo stared out the window of the limousine. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself. He was going to have to be happy, he needed to play a part. He had Otto looking into the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent that he saw at that meeting. While he was waiting for the reports he needed to speak to Secretary Ross. Which was where he was heading to at the moment. He tried to be the part he needed to be. The limousine pulled up to the Capital building. It was still being repaired. Zemo admired what Niko was able to do, he was proud of the crazy fool. But, what he had planned, would cause a much more lasting mark.

He walked up the steps and he was welcomed by Ross's assistant, he smiled as he was taken to him. He had to give it to Ross, he was observant, a good motivator to play the part well. He walked into a half put together office. Ross was standing at the window, his hands at his side.

"Good to see you Mark." Ross said.

"Likewise." Zemo said. "May I sit?" he asked.

Ross gave him a nod as he went to sit in his own chair. Zemo got comfortable, he sighed. "Have you given what I offered more thought?"

"I have." Ross grabbed a large stack of bonded paper. "Interesting reading."

"I would hope so, it may help your, vigilante problem."

"Only a few have called them that."

Zemo smiled, as kind of a smile he could manage. "You and I both know where you lie on that spectrum."

"So, how will the Sokovia Accords help us regulate?"

"Well, all the Avengers and future heroes will be registered and can only be given the go by the United Nations."

"And if they decide to not listen?"

"Oh, then they get arrested and given a choice of spending the rest of their lives in prison, or living like a normal person."

"What kind of prison?" Ross asked.

"Don't play dumb, you know the perfect facility."

Ross nodded, Zemo knew all about the RAFT. The underwater facility that could very well hold Captain America and his friends. He would give anything to see Steve Rogers behind bars in such a place. Ross coughed as he leaned forward. "Well, I agree with it, but it'll take time to get everyone on board."

"I'm patient Mr. Secretary. I can wait, I'm sure it will succeed in the end."

Ross nodded as he watched Zemo leave. Zemo was walking down the steps of the Capital building toward the limousine. Otto was standing there, he opened the door for him. Zemo ducked and climbed into the limousine, Otto followed, closing the door with a metallic clap. "How'd, it go?" He asked.

Zemo smiled. "He was eating out of my hand; the plan is in place. Now I just have to wait. And while I was doing that, what did you find out about our ex-S.H.E.I.L.D. Agent?"

"Well, she lives alone, and she's in New York."

"Why was she at that meeting?"

"She was an undercover operative."

"I knew that."

"No, not for S.H.E.I.L.D. For the Dark Ocean Society."

Zemo smiled at that. "Interesting, well I need to meet this lady. I can assume you'll arrange it."

"As soon as possible."

"Also, did you send the package?"

"Just like you said."

"Good." Zemo said as he looked out the window. "Very good."

 _ **Wanda**_

She grunted as she lifted everything in the training room. Her hands moved over her chest and she pushed out sideways as everything began to lift off the ground. Her hands began to shake, she could feel the strain, her head began to hurt. She felt an icy jolt of pain to her forehead and she dropped her hands. Sending all the objects to the ground with heavy thuds. She exclaimed in a mixture of pain and annoyance.

She heard the sudden clamping of boots just as she felt who it was. She turned to see her brother. Pietro cut his hair, it was short now. She wasn't sure if she liked it. "It's you." She said, gathering her breath.

Pietro walked forward. "Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes giving off a sad puppy look. Wanda nodded. "I'm fine, it's just…ever since the Stark Tower. Whenever I try to lift anything that's strenuous. I…" She struggled to find the words. Giving up on the endeavor she sighed. "I can't do it."

"You're over thinking, your powers come from here." He pointed at her head. "But, the strength is from the heart."

Wanda stared at him. "Did you really just say that?"

"What?" Pietro asked. Wanda chuckled. "That is so cliché."

"And you struggling with your powers isn't?"

Wanda paused and inclined her head in agreement. "Touché."

"Well, I'll leave you to it. I have to go running, the bossy blonde said so."

"His name is Steve, and he's a friend. Try to be nice."

Pietro gave her a wimpy wave and disappeared in a blink of an eye. Wanda stood there and found herself to be alone. She put her hands together and brought them to her stomach. She took a deep breath and she closed her eyes. She put her hands up, ready to try again. "He's right you know."

Wanda gasped and opened her eyes. She didn't feel Bucky standing there, he was blocking his emotions. The idea of what that would feel like made her stomach clench up and made her feel sick. "I didn't think you'd show up." She jested.

Bucky smiled, Wanda felt a blip of feeling. At least she knew the smile was real. "And miss out on Steve ordering everyone around? Never."

"So, my brother is right. For once."

"About the overthinking part."

Wanda nodded. "So, any helpful tips?"

"Not really." Bucky said, walking around her. She watched him as he casually walked in a circle. "Great." She said softly as she lifted her hands. The red aura formed around her fingers and she found every object in the room. She suddenly grabbed Bucky and lifted him off the floor. He exclaimed in a sound that she never thought she'd hear come out of him. "Hey, okay. Um…can you put me down?"

Wanda looked at him, he was floating in mid-air, and he was turning away from her. "Wanda." He said.

"Ask nicely." She said.

Bucky sighed. "Can you put me down? Please?"

Wanda smiled and set him down softly, he took a few steps forward and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Was I overthinking?"

"No, um…good job."

Wanda nodded, she looked around. "Strange, usually everyone is here by now."

Bucky surveyed the training room as well. "I know."

Wanda could feel Bucky loosening up a little. She wasn't sure what to call his sudden release of emotions. Bucky rubbed his eyes. "Well, how about we work on that levitating everything off the ground stunt?"

"Stunt?" Wanda exclaimed. Bucky smirked. "Touchy, aren't you?"

"Fine, so what great advise are you going to bestow upon me?"

Wanda regarded the next few minutes as insightful, and amusing. Bucky didn't give her any advice, but he just about made her side burst from the things he was saying. She didn't know Bucky was funny, it wasn't a thing she ever say him doing when she first met him. Even months ago, he had just lost Hill. She had to guess that even he himself didn't know he could laugh like that. There was still no one in the training room and she felt observingly odd being there alone with Bucky. She felt drawn to him in a way, more out of curiosity than attractiveness. Although, she did like how he looked, but the cards weren't on the table. She felt no inclination that Bucky wanted anything to do with a relationship. Even as she payed close attention to when his emotions would suddenly rise and she could feel him, the emotion was usually amusement, so the laughing was real.

She felt a sudden hollowness though, like in the end the laughter meant nothing to him. Although relieving, it didn't heal or mend the wound at all, but merely covered it up. So, she knew what this all was, just talk, and laughing, but no real advancement. She was okay with that, she could at least make the time they talked enjoyable for the moment. Maybe in the end leaving behind some impression, for him to remember fondly.

It wasn't long till everyone had filed into the training room. Wanda spent the rest of the time doing her best at deflecting oncoming objects. She disintegrated a bullet, first time she ever did that. Otherwise she didn't speak to Bucky again. Even after training, she had looked for him, but didn't find him. She tried searching out for him, but felt nothing. He was gone.

 _ **Bucky**_

He had been spending more and more time here lately. Bucky looked around at all the other gravestones. His eyes moved back toward the one in front of him. He read the name: Maria Hill. A breath escaped him as he thought that his name should be on there. But he knew she wanted him to stay safe, so his name is nowhere to be seen. Bucky hated staring at the headstone. He wanted to be dead with her, then they could have put his name on it. Everyone else would have to deal with it. He heard Niko's laugh as he remembered the bullet tearing through her chest. He put his hands into fists, his biotic hand making a soft wiring as he squeezed tightly. He took a deep breath. His eyes filling with tears as he saw her eyes. Full of life, then suddenly dead, nothing behind them.

He softened his hands and he shuddered, he wiped his eyes and thought about himself. He didn't know who he was. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes. Those names were him, but not him. At least not now, he wasn't sure what his purpose was now. He needed to find it again, but whenever he thought of Maria, it's so hard to even think of tomorrow. He wanted to be back in the past, at least there, she was there.

The wind swept up and lightly touched his face, he took a breath and looked up at the sun. It shined brightly down upon him. He took off his hat and dropped it to the ground. He closed his eyes and his lips trembled as he fell to his knees and silently sobbed into his hands.

 _ **Steve**_

The Facility was quiet for once. He was holding a book in his hands, he was alone in the lounge. He found it interesting that even though there was a lounge, no one ever spent a lot of time in it. So, it was a good place to read, plus it would take a little longer to find him. He wasn't one for not doing his duties, but sometimes he'd rather not look at a pile of files to go through. He hated his office.

He got through a couple of chapters when he felt hands touch his shoulders. His eyes came away from the page and he smiled as he recognized her touch. He lowered the book onto his lap, keeping his place with his finger a sit sat there almost closed. He put his head back and was met with the soft ends of Natasha's hair. She was looking down at him lovingly. He was the only one that got to see that face. He smiled at her, she leaned down and gave him a kiss. Steve sighed as he felt her soft lips on his. He inclined his head slightly and pressed into the kiss. Natasha hummed in delight as he reached up and rubbed her head. Their lips came apart and she sighed. "Rogers, are you reading?"

"Yes, it's a good book."

"Shouldn't you be in your office?" she asked with a teasing smirk.

"Well, I should. But, then again, I am the boss. So, if I want to read, I can."

"True." She said softly. "And you know what you can also do?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He rubbed her head softly, his fingers becoming lost in her hair. Her eyes closed and she sighed in delight as she felt his touch. "You can take me anywhere."

"Where'd you want to go?"

"Not somewhere." Natasha said.

Steve frowned, not quite getting what she meant, then it hit him. "Oh." He gave her a sly look. "Here?"

"Why not?"

"Natasha Romanoff." He said.

"Hmm?"

"Your request is granted."

She smiled and he she felt his arms grab her and pull her over the couch and laid her along the rest of it. Natasha laid on her back and watched him closely as he began to kiss her stomach. Her hands went through his hair as he lightly bit the waist of her pants. She moaned as his hands moved up her body and grabbed her breasts. Her eyes closed and she put her head back and moaned loudly as his lips touched her navel. She didn't care if anyone heard, they could just avoid the lounge. Also, she thought it was her right to let the world know how good Steve made her feel. He didn't seem to care either.

Steve stood and he pulled off his shirt, revealing his chiseled body. She stared at him suggestively, her eyes peering over every inch of him. He pushed down his pants and she saw that he was indeed excited. She could feel the sudden jolt in her groin, she was wet. She began to unbuckle her pants when Steve launched forward and kissed her. She stopped as he moved her hands back and pressed them back against the couch. Not allowing her to use them. "I want to undress you." He said in her ear as he kissed down her neck.

Natasha gave a nod as he pulled her shirt off. Natasha watched him toss it aside and he unclipped her bra and tore it away. She felt the air touch her nipples and they reacted the sudden change in temperature. Steve put his mouth on them and he kissed them. She felt his lips go over every inch of them. She laughed as it tickled slightly. Steve smirked as he dragged his tongue across her nipples, which made her back arch upward. She moaned and put her head back as she felt his lips go further down her stomach, making her feel the sudden release of her belt and pants. She lifted her legs as he pulled them off her. He kept her legs together and he pushed them forward and he put his mouth on her panty covered vulva. She gasped as his tongue pressed lightly into her.

Steve loved hearing her moan, he pulled her panties up and off her legs and he grabbed himself and he put himself at her entrance. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, he could feel how warm she was and how wet. Natasha looked at him, he smiled. "Want me inside?" he asked.

Why did he even have to ask, her hips shifted, making him press into her slightly. He gritted his teeth in desire as he nodded and put himself inside her. They both moaned loudly as they felt one another. Natasha let out a long breath as she held him tightly within her. Steve swallowed as he could feel her gripping him. They looked at each other, their eyes meeting. Steve leaned forward and placed his hand on her face. Natasha moved her hands up his back and then rested them on his buttocks.

Steve took a shuddering breath and he began to move. She gasped as he continued, she pulled on his buttocks, taking him as deep as she could. She didn't know where he began and she herself ended. Everything was warm, her heart was thumping rapidly and her eyes stared into his as he continued moving within her. She pulled on him again, want all of him inside her. Steve kissed her neck as he felt her body against his. His mind in complete bliss, his heart leaping as he felt himself getting closer and closer.

Natasha moaned as she felt him getting harder. She wanted him all inside her, everything. Her mind briefly thought about how she wanted a baby. Her mind thought about what their child would look like if they could have one. The thought made her sad, but she just held him tighter as he came undone. She felt him giving her all of him, and she wanted it. Steve let out a long breath and he lightly kissed her forehead as he laid against her. Natasha hugged him tightly, never wanting to let him go.

He was pulling up his pants as he heard it. Sam's voice yelled from the hall. "Cap!"

Steve quickly, threw on his shirt and he walked toward the hall. Natasha was quickly pulled her pants back on, she could feel his cum still inside her as she stood. She shifted slightly as it made her shiver. "What is it?" Steve asked.

Sam showed no indication if he heard what had just happened. "Come on, it's all over TV."

Sam ran down the hallway, leaving Steve and Natasha standing there at the entrance of the lounge. Steve looked to Natasha. "What is going on?"

 _ **Bucky**_

He had noticed someone following him an hour ago. But he didn't know who it was, no reason for him to let them know the jig was up. He walked calmly along the sidewalk of Queens. He didn't walk enough, he'd spent the past few years flying around to the next spot to kill or defend someone. He had already walked through Brooklyn, some of it looked familiar, and other parts…not at all. He wondered if Steve felt the same as he did when he walked down the streets they grew up on. Did he feel the same emptiness, the same lack of recognition? Or was it just him?

He glanced back and he saw the one following him again. A hoodie blocked his view of their face in the small window of time he could look without giving it away. He took a deep breath, the air even felt different. He crossed the street, seeing if that would give them away. It didn't. Bucky decided that the game was over, he walked in between two buildings and waited. He looked around for any means of concealing himself. He saw a fire escape just above him. He smirked and he jumped and sunk his metal fingers into the brick. He hung there stably, he flung himself up the rest of the way using all the strength his biotic arm could give him. His real hand grabbed the railing of the fires escape, he pulled himself over without much effort. His boots barley made the metal of the fire escape rattle.

He watched the alley below as the hooded figure walked into it. Their head look around, then they paused. Bucky leapt down and he landed behind them and he yanked them around and lifted them up by the throat with his biotic arm and slammed them into the brick wall. "Who are you!" He snapped as he yanked the hood away. Wanda held onto his metal forearm as she felt his fingers choking her. Bucky's eyes widened and he let go of her. Wanda's feet touched the ground, but they didn't keep her upright. She collapsed to the ground and coughed for air as her airway was opened as quickly as it had been closed.

Bucky knelt down and he reached forward, Wanda jerked away from him. His hands froze and he watched as Wanda began to calm down, she still continued to cough. "What are you doing here?" Bucky asked.

Wanda's eyes closed and she groaned. "I came…" her voice was hoarse. "Something's happened." She finally said after coughing heavily. "What's happened?" Bucky asked.

The Diner was empty, it was quiet too. They sat in a booth, Facing one another. Wanda had a mug of coffee in front of her. Bucky didn't have anything. He eyed those remaining closely, he didn't see them as being much of a threat. With two being old men, one the waitress, and another a kid on a laptop. Wanda was shaking her knee furiously as her hands held the mug of coffee, feeling the warmth. "I'm sorry." Bucky said after a while.

Wanda looked up, "It's okay, I know you didn't mean to." Her voice wasn't as hoarse, but she still sounded like she had a sore throat and was losing her voice. "So, what happened?" Bucky asked.

Wanda sighed and took a long swig of coffee. "It's all over the news."

Bucky glanced up at the TV and he saw the breaking news. Apparently, the Winter Soldier was the war hero James Buchannan Barnes. Bucky felt his entire body tense up with shock. He frowned. "How?"

"Someone gave the Daily Bugle a file."

"Of me." Bucky said and he shook his head. "This isn't good."

Wanda looked at him, her eyes soft and worried. "What are you going to do?"

Bucky needed to ask himself that question, he knew he couldn't stay at the Facility, Secretary Ross would be sure to find him there. His opinion of Steve already being thin. He needed to leave, but he didn't know where he would go. Wanda shifted slightly, "Steve wants to back."

Bucky nodded. "Sure, I'll figure it out there."

Wanda watched him closely, he made sure not to give anything away. He knew she could feel emotions. "So, did you come here on foot?" Bucky asked, wondering how she got there.

"I took a car, it's a few blocks from here."

"Okay, lead the way."

Wanda nodded, Bucky quickly tossed some cash out onto the table. He usually didn't have money, but the past few months have given him an opportunity to get some from Stark, who didn't know he had. He followed Wanda to the car, he glanced back a few times to make sure no one else was following them. He got into the car, he wasn't allowed to drive. They were on the road when Wanda spoke again. "Got a place you can use for a safe house?"

"No, the Hydra ones are probably in the hands of Zemo about now."

"Who's Zemo?"

"His family was part of the old guard, the original Hydra. There's no real link to him and Hydra, but I bet he's in on it."

"When did you know about this?"

"Almost a year now, Fury was going to have me spy on him. But then Belova."

"We're almost there, we can hide you."

"And have treason hung over your heads, absolutely not."

Wanda looked at him, her eyes unmoving. "You've already decided what you're going to do haven't you?"

Bucky wasn't really going to say anything till he talked to Steve, but he saw no harm in Wanda knowing. "I have a friend, in Austria. I'll go there, stay out of sight."

"You're not going to go after who leaked the file?"

Bucky shook his head. "For all we know it could be a guy with a computer who found some old files. There are a lot on me, almost every country in the UN has one on me."

"You're lucky you stayed hidden for as long as you did."

"Tell me about it."

They came to the Facility, Wanda pulled the car into the garage, it was beginning to rain. Bucky popped the door open as Wanda put it in park. He got out of the car and Steve and Natasha were already waiting for them. Bucky didn't have to move far, Steve was already walking toward him. "Sorry about this Buck."

"Me too."

Natasha stood next to Steve, her head coming to his shoulder. "We have a place for you to stay, till we get this figured out."

Bucky sighed. "I'm not letting you guys hide me. If Ross found out, he'd accuse you all of treason, which you would be guilty of."

"I'm already guilty of that." Natasha said.

Steve and Bucky both chuckled. "Not what I meant, and you know it. This time they'll lock you away, and then execute you." Natasha didn't say anything. Steve bit his lower lip slightly. "I can't let Ross take you."

"He won't, I already have a place in mind."

"Where?" Steve asked.

"If you knew, it would be bad. Better if you didn't."

Steve put his hands on his side and let out a stern breath. He nodded. "Understood, when do you leave?"

"Tonight, maybe sooner."

"Okay, Ross will probably come by."

"I can hide for one evening; besides he'll be to focused on yelling at you."

"Thanks." Steve said.

Steve and Natasha headed back up, leaving Bucky and Wanda in the garage. He turned to find Wanda rushing toward him. "If it was going to be bad to know where you're going, why did you tell me?" she whispered harshly.

"Don't know, I was going to tell them. But, thought against it."

"So now if I get interrogated…"

"Wanda, you'll be fine. Besides, why would they think you'd know where I was. They don't even know that I know you, they'll think it's all on Steve."

"And that doesn't worry you, he's your friend."

"Don't worry, Steve is actually good at keeping secrets, as long as they don't involve himself."

Wanda sighed. "Okay, well. I still don't like that you told me. Could have just said that to me. I wouldn't have pressed."

Bucky looked at her as she breathed heavily, he noticed how her chest moved. The rising and falling as her lungs expanded. Her lips shifted into a small smile. "Why are you staring at me?" she asked.

"What?" Bucky asked. Wanda raised her eyebrows. "You're staring at me." Bucky sighed, flustered. "Sorry, off in my thoughts."

Wanda blinked and nodded. "Okay, see you in a bit."

Bucky nodded and he watched her walk away. He felt his heart flutter as her hips swayed as she walked. Bucky swallowed and turned around. He closed his eyes and sighed. He shook his head at his thoughts and their scandalous ideas of Wanda. And how she would look out of those jeans. Bucky rubbed his eyes. Hill's face coming to mind, he closed his eyes. He got back in the car and put the seat back. He needed to sleep, he planned on leaving that night.

Bucky dreamed as he laid there. He opened his eyes, he was lying in bed. He felt a hand on his arm, he looked to see Hill. She was lying next to him in a night gown. Her long brown hair hugged her face, covering her shoulders. Her lips turned into a smile. "Dirty boy."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I think it's cute."

Bucky pulled her on top of him. She kissed his chest softly. "It's only been a few months." Bucky said.

"Your brain is looking for a rebound."

"Not Wanda." Bucky said, closing his eyes. Hill looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. He opened them. "Maybe more than a rebound." Hill said softly. "I'm not there to keep you warm."

"I love you."

"I loved you too. But, I'm dead."

"I'm not over you, not by a long shot."

"Me either, but…I don't have to worry about that, now do I?"

Bucky sighed and Hill kissed his chin. "It's okay. I'm happy you at least like someone. I know you won't be alone."

"I'm not going after Wanda."

"Why not?" Hill asked. "Is she so bad, her legs, her curves. Her breasts, her lips."

Bucky looked at Hill, "are you mocking me?"

Hill's smile faded. "Why not? I did only die a couple months ago, and now you want to screw someone else already."

Bucky sighed, his heart hurt. Hill stared down at him. "You love being inside me." She suddenly put him inside her. Bucky moaned as she took him. She moved on top of him. She kissed him furiously and she held onto him tightly as he moved within her. "Oh, God." Bucky said, looking at Hill. "That's right, feel me. How warm, how wet. How I squeeze you." Bucky moaned as Hill put her hand on his throat. "How I ride you." Bucky felt her thighs smacking against his hips as she rose and came down on him. Bucky closed his eyes and he felt himself getting close. "Maria, I'm gonna…"

"Go on, come in me."

Bucky opened his eyes and Wanda was riding him, not Hill. Her hands were holding onto him. "Bucky." Wanda moaned as he thrusted into her. Her hair hung low, and her breasts were in his face. Bucky laid there, not knowing what to do as Wanda took him in her. Bucky could feel himself getting closer as Wanda rode him. His mind went wild on how she felt, he she might feel. He opened his mouth and Wanda smiled as she came. Bucky felt himself climax, he put everything he had into her. He looked to his right and Hill was lying there, watching, blood running out of her mouth, her back blown out from the bullet that killed her. Her red teeth smiled. "Is she so bad?" She coughed and blood poured out of her mouth. Bucky reached out to her and Wanda grabbed his face and turned his gaze to her. "I love how you feel, oh you're ready to go again."

Bucky bolted upright and almost hit his head on the roof of the car. He was breathing hard and his heart was hammering. He put his hand on his chest as he felt like he was going to have a panic attack. Bucky took a deep breath and groaned. "Oh, God." He shook his head and laid back down. He was sweating, he rubbed his eyes. He took a long breath and he couldn't go back to sleep. He laid there for a long time, staring at the ceiling of the car. He shuddered as he saw Hill coughing up blood again. His mind went back to Wanda, he shook his head. Not wanting to think of Wanda. But he couldn't stop, he did like Wanda, but it wasn't love. It was an unbridled lust. Bucky sat up, he needed to get his things together, he needed to leave.

 **Author's Note: Leave a Review with your thoughts, thanks.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Steve**_

Bucky had been right about one thing. Ross was coming, but he was remarkably calm. The entire Faculty had prepared for Secretary Ross' arrival. Ross walked down the hall, toward Steve's office. He had a group of agents around him. They didn't look like authorities either. Sam watched as they walked by, he looked over at everyone else. Wanda and Pietro were hanging close the end of the hallway. Rhodey was standing at the doors of Steve's office, arms crossed. Vision stepped aside as Ross continued his stroll, the agents looked at Vision. Their eyes hanging onto the fact that a purple robot was looking back at them. Ross walked forward, his own steps had a clap of authority on the floor.

Steve was sitting in his office, he was waiting for Ross to enter. Natasha was standing next to him. Her arms were crossed, and a gun was strapped to her hip. Ross pushed the office doors open and entered. "Captain Rogers."

"Mr. Secretary." Steve remarked back, both being respectful.

"I would be right to believe that you have seen the news."

Steve nodded, "you would." Ross stopped just before the desk, he grabbed a file from the agent on his right and tossed it onto the desk. It was open and Bucky's face was the first thing to see. "I required this from an angry Newspaper editor."

"I'm sure he didn't cause too much trouble." Steve said.

Ross cocked an eyebrow, clearly, he didn't see Steve's remark as witty. "Yes, no problem at all. Captain Rogers, let's cut to the chase…" Ross' eyes shifted to Natasha, lingering on her. Steve grabbed the file and looked at the photo of Bucky, his face clear as day, his mask and goggles nowhere to be found. "Captain, I thought this was between you and me."

Steve looked up at Ross' words, the agent to his right spoke. "She can't be here." Steve lowered the file and looked at Natasha, who didn't have a reaction. At least to them, Steve knew she was pissed. "And you are?" The agent spoke up. "Everett Ross."

Steve shifted his eyes toward Ross. Everett noticing, "no relation." He sighed. "You are in charge here; Miss Romanoff cannot be present." He said her name with clear held back resentment. Steve looked up at Ross, who didn't say anything. "Well Agent Ross, Miss Romanoff is as much in charge as I am." He tossed the file back onto the desk. "She stays." Everett went to protest, but Ross raised his hand and shook his head. "We can be civil about this."

Steve stayed seated in his chair. Everett Ross nodded and backed away from the desk. Steve looked to the right and he saw Sharon Carter, her blonde hair stuck out from all the brunettes in the room. She said hi with her eyes, but otherwise nothing else. "Okay, yes I know about James Barnes being the Winter Soldier."

"How?" Everett Ross blurted.

"Television." Steve stated.

Ross sighed. "I am not here to step on toes or spit in faces. I am here asking for your assistance Captain."

"With what?" Steve asked, knowing full well what Ross was asking.

"With going after him." Everett Ross said.

Ross turned toward him. "Say one more thing Agent Ross and I will see to it personally that you get put to a desk."

Everett Ross, knowing he was done, nodded and didn't speak again. "Mr. Secretary, the Avengers is not a hit squad."

Ross sighed. "We want him alive." Steve frowned slightly. "He is to be tried for War crimes, and many other things, assassination of a President for starters."

"Mr. Secretary…"

"Spare me the lecture Captain, I know what the Avengers are. You're trouble, you cause more damage than you stop."

"Niko Constantin was not our fault." Steve said.

"Was Ultron?" Ross asked.

Steve took a breath, "That was before I was the leader."

Ross scoffed. "A team, look at the news to see what your team does. The streets of D.C., covered in dead bodies, New York City in shambles."

"Mr. Secretary…" Steve began.

"How about all the international incidents, Africa, South Korea, Sokovia?"

Steve sighed. "Mr. Secretary." He said. "I will not have the Avengers be used to hunt one man. We stop big problems, from becoming bigger ones. When the Winter Soldier has an organization that is in all the governments of the world and he has nuclear bombs, call me. Otherwise, no. I'm not going to hunt down Bucky Barnes."

Ross' nostrils flared and his lips thinned. "How about I lock you all up for aiding and abetting, James Barnes was your best friend. And we all know how you care for your friends. What's stopping me from putting you away?"

Steve stared at him. "Nothing, only proof and the fact that I haven't seen Bucky Barnes since I stopped Project Insight."

"I know you're lying, you can't lie Rogers."

"It's Captain Rogers, Mr. Secretary." Steve said, standing up for the first time. "The Winter Soldier is your problem, catch him yourself."

Ross nodded. "One day, I will see you in shackles."

"If that day comes, you can take a picture. But for right now, don't you have a criminal to catch?"

Ross took a few steps back. "Yes, I do, good evening Rogers."

"Good evening Mr. Secretary."

Steve sat back down after Ross left. Natasha placed her hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" He looked up at her. "Yeah, think I could have done better?"

"Maybe, but otherwise. You did fine, like you said, the Avengers aren't a hit squad."

Steve nodded. "Is he gone?"

Natasha looked at the security feed, "Yep."

Steve gave her a nod, she reached under the desk and grabbed a bug. "Saw it earlier, got a place?"

Steve nodded, Natasha walked out of the office.

 _ **Natasha**_

She strolled to a cleaning closet and tossed the bug into a cardboard box. She turned and Bucky was standing there. "Sorry for all the trouble."

She shook her head. "You'd do it for him."

"I'll leave in the morning, before first light."

Steve came around the corner. Bucky smiled. "Well, didn't think you could lie like that."

"Yeah, I'm still bad at it." Steve said, "even with the best teacher." His eyes on Natasha. She shrugged. "You're honest, I like that about you, even if it causes problems."

Bucky shifted slightly, she glanced at him. Steve gave Bucky a pat on the back. "You be safe, try not to cause too much trouble. I won't be able to help you this time."

Bucky laughed. "I'll be okay, you just keep doing what you're doing." Steve nodded, he looked at Natasha. "Well boys, is guess this is it." She looked at Bucky and he put out his hand. "See you around Natasha."

She took it and gave a firm squeeze. "You too, Bucky."

Natasha stayed next to Steve as Bucky walked away, it was his last night in the Facility. Natasha took a breath and looked up at Steve. She put her arms around him and went up on her tip toes and kissed him. Steve smiled. "I'm still going to be late to bed."

Natasha sighed. "Thought I'd try and persuade you." She wanted him to forget about the files, but he was the leader. Steve gave her a good squeeze in his arms. "See you later." They kissed and Natasha walked away, heading to their quarters.

 _ **Bucky**_

He stood in his quarters, well it used to be his and Hill's. But now it was just his, not for long though, as he was leaving soon. Bucky turned and sat down on the bed, his mind going back to what the doctor told him when they brought Maria's bloodless body back. His heart ached as he felt the tears form in his eyes, making the room blurry. The thought of it hurt as much as finding out for himself. Bucky took a shaky breath as there was a knock on the door. Bucky shifted and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. "Yes." He said as he debated whether to stand or stay seated. "May I enter." Came Vision's voice.

"Sure." Bucky said.

The door slid open and Vision walked in, his lifelike, but still robotic eyes looking at him. "What can I do for you?" Bucky asked, realizing that he never really talked to Vision. Vision gave a slight nod. "I wanted to talk to you about Wanda."

Bucky felt his heart leap, he didn't react. "What about her?"

Vision grabbed the chair at the desk and turned it around and sat down. "She said it would be easier if I sat down."

"She sent you here?"

"Oh, no. Just I tend to talk to everyone standing up, she said that sitting may help take the…awkwardness away." His metallic lips curved into a smirk. "I don't think it does."

Bucky chuckled. "Well, maybe a little." Vision's smirk went away and he looked like he was taking a breath. "We've never talked Mr. Barnes, but I wanted to inquire, what are your thoughts toward Miss Maximoff?"

Bucky wasn't prepared for this, he sighed. "Uh…she's nice, can hold her own. Wait…why are you asking?"

"I have tried to stop analyzing everything everyone says, but whenever she talks about you, she seems to, produce certain…quirks."

Bucky frowned. "Like what?"

"Have you noticed how she says your name?"

"Not really."

"Well, her cheeks flush." Vision said, pointing at his purple cheeks, which clearly didn't flush. "Well sometimes people's faces turn different colors when they say anything."

"Yes." Vision nodded. "I know, I find it all quite fascinating. But I also notice that her hands tend to touch her neck whenever she sees you."

Bucky nodded and sighed. "What are you saying Vision."

"I believe Wanda is infatuated with you."

Bucky coughed and he frowned. "What?" Vision didn't react. "She…how do you say? Has feelings for you."

Bucky went to speak. "Sexual feelings." Vision added. Bucky didn't say what he was going to, in fact he couldn't quite remember what he was going to say. "Well, that's interesting."

"I thought so too." Vision said pleasantly. "So, I am here to inquire if you have the same level of feelings as her?"

Bucky swallowed and he felt a surge in his groin. He heard Hill's voice. _"Oh, you want to take her right now."_ Bucky sighed. "Wanda is a, beautiful woman."

"So, you see her as atheistically beautiful?"

"Yes, but…um…more than that." Vision didn't say anything, Bucky took that as to further explain. "She…is caring. I appreciate how she has talked to me after Hill died."

"So, you find her insides quite beautiful?"

Bucky almost coughed and he felt a further stirring in his groin. _"You wish you knew how she felt, her deepest wettest parts. You dirty boy."_ Hill's voice said sharply.

"Yes, she is a lovely person."

Vision nodded. "Okay, you don't mind if I tell her you said that, do you?"

"Not at all."

Bucky furrowed his brow as Vision immediately left the room. Bucky sighed, he nodded. Then realized how Vision had asked. His eyes widened, he got off the bed and left his quarters. _Do not tell her that I find her insides beautiful!_ Bucky's mind exclaimed as he saw Vision phase through the floor and he was gone. Bucky gave a nervous chuckle as he was alone in the long hallway. He stood there and let out a long breath. "Well, that's that." He said as he turned back and went into his quarters.

Bucky was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Well aware that he had very little time left at the Facility. He had gotten a couple hours of sleep in the car, but now he found himself unable to sleep. His metal hand was interlocked with his real one. Both warm, but one would lose it if he moved it away. Bucky looked at his metal arm, he studied the grooved metal. Although it was a mixture of metals, they were all the same shade of silver. He looked at his palm, the metal was the same, grooved, but nothing else. No fingertips or lines, just cold metal. He thought of Hill, and how she would hold onto him, his metal arm being smothered by her body. He didn't understand how she could hold onto it so easily.

Every time he looked at it, it just reminded him that he wasn't the kid from Brooklyn anymore. He wasn't even Bucky Barnes anymore. _Who am I?_ A question that Bucky found himself asking more often than he used to. Now he was about to leave the facility and go bunk up with Gerald; with no plan on what to do. He didn't want to be constantly running, yet he seemed deemed no other life. Bucky remembered what the Doctor said to him. _"I'm sorry. Truly I am. Losing one love one is bad, but two is unspeakable. More so when they're you wife and child."_

That word echoed in his mind, sending him spiraling downward. _"Child."_ He closed his eyes. He couldn't cry anymore, his face just hurt from trying. "What's the matter?" Hill asked, her hand touching his chest.

Bucky almost leapt out of the bed, he sighed. Hill smiled, "I didn't mean to startle you."

He shook his head. "Why aren't you here?" he asked, knowing the answer. Hill's eyes blinked, her white teeth bared slightly. "My chest was blown apart, you remember."

Bucky saw the bullet again, it went into her chest and the pink mist flew out of her back, not showing the damage the bullet had actually done. But, he knew. The bullet had gone through her chest, it glanced off her sternum and went into her heart and then out her back, taking chunks of her vertebrae with it. She would have felt pain, then nothing as she bled to death in his arms. Telling him she was sorry. Bucky blinked and Hill was gone.

He looked at the ceiling, hearing the Doctor's words. _"Child."_

 _ **Wanda**_

She was asleep, she might have been dreaming, but she didn't remember as she felt a sudden ache in her chest. She bolted upright, her hand reaching out and landing flat onto her bed. Her blanket, cold beneath her fingers. She took a long breath as she felt her chest ache again. She closed her eyes, and she knew it was coming from Bucky. She quickly cut it off, the burning ache faded. She exhaled and fell back onto her mattress, her head landing on her pillow. She stared up into the ceiling. Her heart slowing its beat, she opened her mind again, reaching out. She wanted to help, just help. She found him, Bucky was lying in bed, his mind was all over the place.

Her heart fluttered as she felt his distress. She had only felt those around her, she never tried to reach out to them. Her eyes closed, she came to a picture of what he might look like. She was standing in his doorway, she could see him lying in bed. He wasn't crying, but it didn't stop his being from crying out in distress. He was hurting, she just wanted to help. She approached his bed, his eyes stared up at the ceiling. She moved her hand forward, her fingers getting close to his face. She then felt his skin on her fingers, she caressed his cheek, feeling the fuzzy stubble of his cheek. She looked at him and his eyes were wide. She panicked and she came out of it and she was back in her room, alone. Her eyes were wide herself and she could still feel the warmth of his face on her fingers, fading away.

Before Wanda could even think about what had just transpired, Vision appeared at her door. "Wanda?" He said. She clenched her fists and pressed her lips together, making them into a thin line. "Yes." She said, releasing all the tension she had, her hands opened, she put them on her knees, the warmth from her hands radiating through her jeans to her skin. "I've just spoken to Mr. Barnes."

"Oh."

Vision nodded, grabbing her desk chair and sitting down on it. "I went to inquire…question him about something."

Wanda's mind reached out and grabbed what possibilities that Bucky had said. "I know that we have, attained some physical contact."

"We made out once Vis." Wanda said. "Yes." Vision nodded, "What I mean to say is, you have a peculiar way you look, when you see Mr. Barnes."

"Do I?" Wanda felt panic jolt up through her bones, _what had Vision asked him?_

"I have reason to believe that you like Mr. Barnes…sexually." Wanda sighed, there were so many conversations she didn't want to have with Vision, who she found attractive was in her top five. "And since he is available in such terms, I decided that I would ask him what he thought of you."

For as much as she wanted to throw him out a window, Wanda couldn't help but wonder what Bucky did say, and against her better judgement, she asked. "What…what did he say?"

"He finds you aesthetically beautiful."

 _Oh, well that's something._ Wanda put her attention back to Vision, he wasn't finished. "And he also said that he finds your insides beautiful as well." Vision gave her a smile.

This could have gone many ways, and it just hit a tree and burst into flames. "My insides?" Wanda asked. She couldn't help but think of the dirtiest thing, and it made her stomach tight and she exhaled. She felt a little faint. "You are a lovely person." Vision added.

 _Oh, not my…_

"I just thought you should know."

"Thank you, Vision." Wanda stated. Vision smiled and dissipated through the floor. _I hate when he does that, at least he doesn't do that entering anymore._

Wanda laid back and let out a groan, why was she getting so hung up over it. Bucky only said she was a lovely person, it wasn't like he said he wanted to go on a date. The idea of a date was even stupid, he was leaving in a few hours, it was out of the question. The timing was all wrong, she felt the slightest tinge of desire when he showed her how to shoot a gun. She thought back to how assertive he was, the stone confidence, yet patient and sweet demeanor. Now she knew why Hill had fallen for Bucky. She was doing the same thing, the more she thought about Bucky, the more she wanted to see him.

She needed to nip this in the bud as quick as possible, who knew if she was even going to see Bucky again, plus the man is wanted by almost every government in the world. _I know exactly what Pietro would say. "Bought time you got out there."_ Pietro, who went from one thing to another, always getting into trouble. Now she was falling for the guy with all the trouble and even more interesting: it didn't bother her.

Wanda let out a frustrated groan and closed her eyes. Without her knowing her mind had opened up again and it went for the first thing it wanted. Her thoughts went to Bucky and she felt his pain and anguish. Wanda shook her head. _I can't heal those kinds of wounds, even if it all worked out like my mind can picture. I'd be the second woman._ She frowned as she noticed that Bucky wasn't up in his quarters anymore, he was walking toward the hangar. She sat up and climbed off her bed.

Wanda rushed down the hallways and made her way to the hangar as well. Bucky was leaving early, which wasn't a surprise, but her selfish mind wanted to see him one last time.

 _ **Bucky**_

He smacked the manual release, the ramp hissed as the hydraulic seal came undone and it slowly descended to the hangar floor. Bucky held a duffle in his real hand, his metal hand at his side. As the ramp touched the floor, his acute hearing picked up the sound of two feet running. Bucky turned and saw Wanda coming toward him. He frowned, his cheek suddenly burned from the memory of feeling someone touching him as he laid there in his quarters. _It couldn't have been Wanda._ He suddenly heard Maria's voice in the back of his head. _"You'd like that wouldn't you, look how she approaches you, like a little doe who wants her Buck."_ Bucky frowned, _Maria would never say those things._ Bucky knew what he was doing, he was torturing himself, he was quite good at it. "Wanda?" he said, leaving his troubled thoughts for another time.

She came to a stop a few feet away from him, her eyes looking up at him. Her head came to his mouth. Wanda took a few breaths. "You're leaving sooner."

"I am." Buck said.

Wanda nodded, "I just…wanted to say goodbye."

Bucky nodded, "you've been kind to me Wanda." _"Oh, very kind, come give us a kiss, maybe suck my cock while you're at it."_ Bucky kept the thought far away from him. "I know it'll be a while before we see each other again…" Wanda began. "It's okay Wanda." Bucky said.

She stood there, silently, her blue eyes gazing up at him. Bucky felt the back of his throat become dry as she approached him and wrapped her arms around him. "Be safe." She said.

Bucky wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Her hair was soft and she smelled like flowers. "I will be."

Wanda broke away slightly and looked up at him, her eyes were saying it all for her. Bucky felt a sudden warmth in the back of his mind. Then the softest of touches on his cheek where a hand would be. _It was her._ Wanda smiled, "If you need anything."

Bucky took her hand in his real one, he felt how small and thin they were, yet warm and soft. "Thank you."

Wanda went up on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You helped me get my brother back, I'm here if you need anything." Bucky's cheek burned and his groin ached slightly. "How are you?"

"Its new." Wanda said softly. "How far can you reach?"

"Don't know, so far, the entire facility."

Bucky nodded, "what do you feel when you, touch people's minds?"

"It ranges, when I touch Sam its amusing, Steve is comforting, Natasha is determined."

"And me?" Bucky asked.

Wanda didn't answer, her lips trembled, her eyes welling up. "It's painful." She said, her voice breaking. A tear fell down her cheek. Bucky wiped the tear away with his metal index finger. "You feel it?"

"Everything." Wanda said. "To what extent?"

She gave him a long look and almost sobbed. Bucky let out a shaken breath. "You know." He stated.

Wanda nodded, "I'm so sorry Bucky."

Bucky nodded and pulled her in to another embrace. "Thank you, you are much stronger than we give you credit."

Wanda laughed, but with tears streaming down her face. "Keep them safe, and look out for yourself." She nodded, her eyes stopped producing tears and she toughened herself as Bucky let go of her. He grabbed his duffle and walked up the ramp to his Quinjet. "Bucky." Wanda said running up the ramp. He turned and she gave him a long kiss, her lips were wet from crying and he kissed her back. She ran her hands through his hair, she moaned slightly as she felt his tongue enter her mouth. They broke apart and she blinked at him. Bucky gave her a reassuring smile. "You're too good for me." He said.

Wanda stepped away from him, her hand holding onto his as long as she could. Bucky watched her stand there, he hit he manual retract and the ramp began to ascend and re-seal itself. Bucky saw Wanda smile and the ramp closed, he heard it seal tight. Bucky set his duffle aside and climbed into the pilot seta and began to departure. He could feel Wanda touching his mind, now that he knew what to feel for, he could always tell if she was or not. He could still feel her contact as the Quinjet climbed up through the night sky and then it was gone. Bucky sighed as the Quinjet continued upward and then he settled it out as he came to the top of the clouds.

Bucky put in the course to Gerald's pub in Austria. He took a deep breath and sat back as the Quinjet flew itself.

 **Author's Note: Thank you for the kind words, and I will be continuing this. The uploads will probably be sporadic, but I will keep uploading.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Baron Zemo**_

Zemo found most things useful, and an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that was an undercover mole for the Dark Ocean Society, enticed him like nothing else. He had Otto find her for him, her name was: Ariko Domen. She grew up in Chicago, but had deep familial ties to Japan. Otto was also able to find out that Ariko Domen just happened to be part of the family that was one of the major players in the Dark Ocean Society's creation. Although the Domen family no longer sits at the table, their name is still revered and respected.

Ariko had stopped working at S.H.I.E.L.D. after the fallout of project "Insight." Due to Fury giving the new agents and returning ones an even harder look than ever before. She just used the opportunity to get out. _Smart, you can only get past Nick Fury once._ Although, Zemo planned on doing it twice. Ariko had an apartment in Manhattan, and Zemo was going to pay her a visit, and perhaps gain an advantage. Since the Dark Ocean Society planned on sweeping up the assets that Niko Constantin once had, they were Zemo's competitor, and if there was one thing Zemo liked more than information, it was competition. If Ariko Domen gave him what he wanted, then it would make the next steps in his plan much easier.

 _ **Bucky**_

His flight from the familiarity of the Avengers Facility, to the nostalgic street that led to Gerald's pub, left an image in his mind as he approached the pub. It lights were on and he could hear music and loud chatter. All Bucky could think about was the last time he had been here, Hill was with him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, music filling his ears and the voices of all the patrons overwhelmed his senses. Such a contrast to his silent flight. The citizens of the Austrian town that Gerald had called home for more than three decades didn't pay him any notice. They went about laughing and enjoying their evening.

Bucky knew that it was going to be like this, it was nice for once not to be stared at as he went everywhere. First it was the on the Helicarrier when he started working with Fury. All the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents either glared or gaped at him. Then the Avenger facility after Hill died, all afraid to spook him, not knowing how the Winter Soldier would react to any sudden change in motion. _The Winter Soldier._ The name put an awful taste in his mouth, he hated the Winter Soldier. _Bucky Barnes._ A name he had to become familiar with again, he had too, then…Hill died. He wasn't Bucky Barnes anymore; Bucky Barnes was in love and was married to Maria Hill. Bucky Barnes was going to have a baby with the woman he loved and his past, the Winter Soldier came and took them from Bucky Barnes. _Winter Soldier. Bucky Barnes. Two sides to the same coin._

Who was he now? Not James Buchanan Barnes, he died a long time ago, he didn't know who he was. He was drifting now, nothing to hold him down. The thing that made his new modern life, worth living was gone. _Niko Constantin took her from me. The boy I trained, then forgot about, leaving him to the mad scientists of Red Room. He came back, wanting revenge, and he got it._ Bucky saw Niko's head leaving his shoulders, his body thudding against the floor of the Behemoth. _He wanted me to kill him, he wanted me to live, to live with it all._ "James!"

Bucky looked to his left, seeing Gerald coming toward him with a glass of a dark golden-brown drink and open arms. Bucky accepted the hug, Gerald shook him slightly. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you too Gerald." Bucky said plainly. Gerald frowned, "I'm sorry about Maria."

Bucky waved him down. "I'd rather not talk about it." Gerald took a sip of his drink, "Care for a drink?"

Bucky gave him a nod and a glass of similar liquid was given to him. Bucky downed it in one gulp, feeling the burn, but not the side effects. Gerald sighed, "Come James, sit."

Bucky planted himself onto a stool at the bar. Gerald sat down in the one next to him, the bartender got a little nod from Gerald and then all the patrons that were at the bar stood up and left. Gerald sigh, "James, what is it?"

"Gerald." Bucky said. "Don't."

Bucky took the next glass of alcohol and downed it like the previous one. "James, I heard that everyone knows who you are now."

"Yep." Bucky said, his eyes on the glass in his hand. "Everyone knows what a monster I am."

"You're not a monster."

"Not when you look at my rap sheet."

 _Touché._ Gerald sighed and rested against the bar. "Well, you'll be okay here, but, it's not like they're going to stop looking for you."

Bucky nodded, he was going to be on the run till the end, either he gives himself up, or gets caught. The weight of his new situation hadn't hit him yet, he still felt like he was back with Steve and stopping the world from falling apart. Now, it was up to Steve, while he hid in a hole. Bucky didn't even know what to do with himself. "I don't know what to do Gerald." Bucky admitted.

"Well, perhaps sleep for starters, you look terrible."

Bucky let out a humorless chuckle. "I bet I do." Gerald watched Bucky closely as he sat there and started at the glass in his hand. "James, what happened to Maria?"

Bucky bit his lip as he held back from crying, his heart ached in his chest and his throat tightened as his whole being just wanted to collapse and curl up into a ball. "She…uh. Niko shot her."

Gerald didn't say anything, he sighed and drank the last of his drink. "There's more you're not telling me."

Bucky stared forward and saw himself in the large mirror behind the bar. He gave himself a good hard look. He blinked and tears welled up in his eyes. Bucky shifted his gaze and he saw Hill standing in the group of patrons behind him. She was pale, and blood was dried on her chin and the left side of her mouth. Her eyes watched him closely and Bucky looked away from the mirror. When he looked, back she was gone. "Um…Maria was pregnant." He never said it out loud before. Gerald sat up, he closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry James."

"Yeah, I don't even think she knew, the doctor told me."

 _"I'm sorry."_ He heard Hill's voice say. Bucky shook his head as he saw her again, this time she had her color back, she looked alive and she was wearing a dress. She walked past the patrons and he noticed her stomach, she showed, as she went past another group of patrons she disappeared. Bucky put his hand to his mouth. "It's all my fault."

"Don't you dare." Gerald said. "You didn't kill Maria, James. Niko did."

"Yeah, but I helped create him, my actions led to her death."

"When you were brainwashed and unwilling in your actions."

"Doesn't take away blame, I'm still wanted for war crimes, I wasn't willing in that, now was I?"

"James, you did not kill Maria. Don't let the actions of others lay judgement on yourself. Judgement weighs on them, and them alone."

"Maybe if I caught Niko in Moscow."

"How?" Gerald asked.

Bucky set the empty glass down. "Maybe if I stayed like I was before I came back, I would have killed Niko so many times."

"James…you need to decide what kind of man you want to be. You can be the man who was loved by his wife, or be the Winter Soldier, the man that haunted secret operatives for decades."

"The Winter Soldier would have killed Niko when he first saw him."

"The Winter Soldier also would have killed his best friend."

Bucky looked at Gerald, he cursed under his breath. "Perhaps I need to be something different."

"Maybe." Gerald said. "You know _you_ way down, just keep what I said in mind James."

Bucky nodded, Gerald left him at the bar. Bucky asked for another drink, he downed it as soon as he got it. _Maybe the Winter Soldier wasn't enough._

 _ **Steve**_

The News was talking about his best friend, they'd been talking about Bucky for days now. To his relief the information remained the same, just about the fallout of such news. With no sightings of Bucky Barnes, it seems the world is on a man hunt that is the biggest in history. With information that the Kennedy assassination, was actually Bucky Barnes, and that Oswald was the fall guy.

Steve realized that stories and history was coming to light that had been covered up and hidden from public view. There were even ties to the recent attack on New York put onto Bucky Barnes and his involvement in the terrorist known as Niko Constantin, who was aided by a man that killed eighty-three people in the streets of New York, almost a year ago, Sean Richardson.

"It's a P.R. nightmare." Sam said softly as they watched their past few years play out in front of them. Steve took a breath, turning from the TV, Agent Allen was standing there. Sam turned, "Allen?"

"Captain Rogers, there's someone here to see you."

Steve left Sam and Allen in the lounge and made his way to his office. When Steve opened the door, he found Fury shifting a globe on a table. "Fury." Steve said.

Fury turned, "Captain."

"What can I do for you?"

Steve took a seat at his desk, Fury didn't care to sit, he slowly walked toward another table that had a propped-up picture. "There's no bugs." Steve said. Fury nodded, "You don't get to be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. by not being paranoid."

"Ross left one when he was last here, Natasha swept the office, she didn't find any."

Fury nodded, "Since it was Romanoff." Fury finally took a seat. "I'm here due to a common friend."

Steve let out a breath. _This was going to transpire in code._ Steve got used to this being a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. "Oh, have you seen him lately?"

Fury shook his head. Steve gave a curt nod, "When was the last time you talked?"

"Just about some living arrangements a couple of weeks ago."

"I know, he mentioned it. He didn't want to stay here either."

"Well after a loss like his, I figured I could help, but…"

"He shot you down. He does that."

"Any clue where he's staying now?" Fury asked, his one eye glancing around the room. Steve shook his head. "When I asked him, he wasn't certain."

"Okay, I just figured I'd ask. Onto my next topic, Rogers, do you remember an Agent Domen?"

"Ariko? Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well she is one of the many S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents that never came back after "Project Insight." Many didn't, a lot went to the C.I.A. or other like organizations. Ariko Domen, disappeared, there's no clues to where she went, but she just returned to her apartment in Manhattan."

"You think she was Hydra?"

Fury shook his head. "I think she was something else, she hasn't been in the U.S. for three years, now she's back. I'm looking into why."

"What is this to me, Fury?"

"Don't know yet, just wanted to run this by you. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. is no more, I figured the Avengers could use any source of information."

"Appreciate it, well I can have Sam or Natasha help you."

Fury waved him down. "No need, I have a few associates."

Steve smirked. "Of course, you do."

Fury left as quick as he arrived, Agent Allen going with him. Steve walked him out of the Facility and he saw a familiar face in a car. Agent Bobbi Morse sat at the wheel. Steve watched the car speed off toward the parameter gate. Steve nodded, "hi honey." He said turning to see Natasha standing there. "If it wasn't for your superhuman hearing, you wouldn't have heard me."

Steve pulled her into an embrace and he gave her a kiss. "Also, when did you start calling me honey?" the spy inquired.

"Just now." Steve held her tightly. "Don't like it?" he added. Natasha was silent for a moment as she gazed up at him. "It'll do." They kissed and Steve let her know what he and Fury talked about. "I could run something through some old channels, could bring something up."

Steve frowned and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Do it, Fury peaked my interest."

"Mine too, if he's looking into Ariko Domen, we should too."

"We don't need to get blindsided again." Steve and Natasha kissed again, she turned to leave, he held onto her hand, pulling her back into another kiss. She giggled, "Easy soldier."

Steve hummed softly as he rested his forehead against hers. Natasha bit her bottom lip as she put her hands on his face. Steve found himself moving his hand to her stomach. Natasha closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of his hand radiate throughout her abdomen, the waves of warmth brushing against her breasts. Steve took a deep breath and sighed. Natasha frowned, "What is it?"

"Nothing." Steve said, he smirked. "Just…" His eyes looking down at her stomach. Natasha lifted his head up and got him to look at her. "I know." Steve and Natasha held each other for a long time, Natasha listened to Steve's heart beating against her ear as she wished for the same thing.

 _ **Baron Zemo**_

"Bring her round." He ordered, his hands clutched to his cane, slowly grinding against its frame. Otto reached forward and grabbed Ariko Domen by her hair and yanked her head back. Ariko's eyes shot open, she winced in pain as Otto Shoved her head forward. A mixture of dried and wet blood covered her nose and upper lip. The bottom of her lips was busted, and would need stitches. Zemo wasn't concerned with the damages, it was the information he wanted.

"Hello." Zemo said calmly, his knuckles covered in her blood. "Are we ready to talk?"

Ariko stared at him and spit in his face. Zemo took the glob of blood ridden saliva to the cheek. He wiped it away chillingly, not really offended by such an action. "Well, I guess we can proceed in our current course of action, Otto."

Otto grabbed Ariko by the hair and pulled upward. Zemo was up in a matter of seconds and the sword was out of its cane sheath and the Adamantium blade was at the base of her scalp. Ariko clenched her teeth as he lightly pressed the cold metal to her weak skin. "Now, tell me what I want to know, or I'll scalp you."

Ariko stayed silent, Zemo smirked and moved the metal closer and it began to cut into her scalp. She closed her eyes and tears came to her eye. Zemo then began to cut, the blade went underneath her hair and she screamed from the pain of having her scalp slowly removed. She muttered something in Japanese, which made Zemo stop.

"Come again?"

Ariko spoke softly. "Go to hell."

Zemo slapped her across the face and grabbed her by the mouth, forcing her mouth open. "Otto." Zemo barked, a pair of pliers were handed to him. Ariko's eyes widened as he reached in and got hold of one of her molars. She screamed as he twisted and pulled her tooth out with a soft crack. He let her mouth go, she coughed, tasting the coppery metallic flavor of her blood. Zemo got close to her. His face inches from hers. "You have thirty-one more."

Ariko then launched forward to bite him, but Otto was prepared and pulled hard on her hair, due to the beginning of being scalped the skin tore slightly, which made her scream in pain. Zemo clicked his tongue and shook his head back and forth. "Naughty girl. Now, tell me what I want to know."

She was breathing heavily as she stayed silent, she wasn't going to break, she wouldn't. Zemo pierced his lips together and nodded. He stood up straight, turning, he pulled out a blow torch from a bag on the couch. Keeping his back to her he began to heat up the sword. "That is unfortunate Miss Domen. I was hoping this would be a relatively painless affair." He turned to looked at her as the blow torch turned the metal from a shiny silver to a bright fiery orange. "But now I see you would have the way of pain, and…" he turned off the blow torch and set it down on the coffee table. "That's fine by me."

Ariko's instincts tried to get her away from the fiery blade, but Otto held her still. Zemo walked forward holding the blade in a fine pose, he was a master at fencing. She began to protest. "I'll talk, I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"But you were a naughty girl."

"I'm sorry, I'll be a good girl, I won't do anything." She pleaded, her eyes on the fiery blade and afraid of what Zemo was going to do. Zemo nodded, "I know." The blade blurred with a flick and then there was searing pain in her wrist. Her eyes looked down to see her hand fall to the floor. The smell of burning flesh entered her nostrils as she screamed.

 _ **Bucky**_

His eyes were on the dark brown liquid and he wished he could get drunk. It was the one thing he wanted, he remembered what it was like to be drunk, but it felt more like a fantasy than a memory. Bucky was down below the Pub in the living quarters that Gerald had built years ago. He was sitting on the bed of the guest room, it was a room he had a lot of memories off. Ones of being somewhat conscious of his life, then being with Maria.

 _I can't seem to get away from her._ He hated himself for the thought, but for once, Bucky wanted to not be reminded of her. It'd only been a few weeks ago, he didn't know how he was going to get through the next day. " _One day at a time."_ The words he lived by at the moment. He laid down, resting his head into the pillow. The ceiling hung above him, then he felt her. Hands moved over his chest and one touched his stubble chin. He looked to see Maria lying next to him, she wasn't dead this time. "Hi." She said softly, Bucky took a shaken breath. Maria frowned, "What is it?"

"You're not real."

"How would you know?" She asked, her voice low and full of venom. Bucky blinked, Maria turned into Niko. "Not much goes on up, there, does it?" Bucky crawled away from Niko, who was smiling as he sat up. "I killed her, you killed me. Anti-Cap is dead, Yelena Belova too. What does Bucky Barnes have, who does he have?"

"St…" Bucky began to say.

Niko shook his head, "Steve isn't here, you two don't have the same story. Not Fury, you put up with him for Hill."

"Stop it."

Niko gasped and let out a giggle. "Why, pushing your buttons. You trained little girls to kill each other, you manipulated one into loving you, then broke her heart, body, and mind. Staining her soul, you trained a young boy and left him for the wolves."

Bucky shook his head. "Stop."

Niko didn't stop, he kept talking, his face inches from his. "You killed a President of the country you fought for. You killed Howard Stark and his pretty wife. Oh, how Tony Stark would feel if he knew that the big bad Winter Soldier killed his mommy."

"STOP IT!" Bucky screamed.

"WHY!" Niko screamed back. "Hitting a nerve?" Bucky looked away from Niko. "Come on Bucky." The voice was Maria. Bucky looked to see her, dead and cold. "Now you want the weird girl who moved things with her mind?"

Bucky frowned. "I've been dead only weeks, now you want to bend that piece of flesh over…"

"ENOUGH!" Bucky screamed.

"James?"

Bucky opened his eyes and sat up. Gerald was standing there, nothing but worry in his eyes. Bucky caught his breath and he noticed he was drenched in sweat. "James, you were screaming."

Bucky raised his real hand and nodded. "Nightmare." He said shaken. Gerald sighed and nodded. "Want to talk about it?"

Bucky hummed his answer, "I've got all the time in the world." Gerald responded. Bucky let out a shaky breath and looked at Gerald.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Bucky**_

"James, you've done this before." Gerald's words hung over him like a noose. Bucky was wrapped up in a grey blanket, all the sweat had made him cold. "When you came back to us, after Steve brought you back. After Red Skull attacked New York."

"It's not the same."

"How so?"

"I didn't see her."

Gerald leaned back in the chair he had pulled over to console his friend. "You're torturing yourself, you did the same thing four years ago."

"But, Maria…she was never."

"It makes no difference, James." Gerald snapped. "You are a drowning man, and you've just wrapped weights to your legs."

Bucky lowered his head, Gerald sighed as he reached for his drink. "You are a good man James, don't carry the weight of the dead."

"Then what am I to do?" Bucky asked, he meant it as rhetorical, but Gerald answered him. "You need to start swimming."

Gerald stood, Bucky looked up at his friend, "now I may not be much good when it comes to words of comfort, but what I am good at is information."

Bucky frowned, he blinked a few times. "I'm not following Gerald."

This seemed not to mean anything to Gerald. "Clean yourself up and meet me in the study." Gerald drank the rest of his drink and left Bucky alone in the guest room. He frowned for the longest time, his mind racing, wondering, questioning. _What is Gerald up to?_

Bucky decided to take a shower, it was the only way he would feel clean, his clothes were sticking to him in all the wrong places. When Bucky felt relatively back to normal, he walked through the long hall and turned at the door to the study. He found Gerald at his desk and there were files upon files laid out over the large slab of mahogany wood. Gerald looked up, "Sit." He ordered.

Bucky knew better than to try and argue with Gerald, sat down in one of the chairs. Gerald turned back and pulled out a large file out of a cabinet; he didn't even have to look for it. Gerald tossed it to Bucky, who caught it, not a single paper out of place. Bucky's eyes laid upon the file in his hands, the name stamped onto the front of the tan file. Niko Constantin, "Wolf Spider."

Gerald nodded. "I collected everything I could find on Niko, a lot of it led to nothing, he seemed to have unlimited funds. He could do whatever he wanted."

Bucky opened the file and there was no picture of Niko, but Bucky didn't need one. Niko's face was burned into his memory. Gerald took a sip of his refilled glass. "He had a lot of safe houses and hidden bases, all were unknown. I only recently found them, it wasn't till after his organization dissolved with his death, that these came out of the dark."

"What are you saying Gerald?" Bucky asked, his eyes briefly moved over the picture of the Gulag that he and Steve burned to the ground, saving Natasha. Gerald took a breath, he seemed to relish in explaining the details. "Even with all his resources, I could never place where his funds were, he had no money."

"That doesn't make sense, nothing in Swiss banking?"

"None, the man was a ghost, only had a name, and reputation. Remind him of anyone?"

 _Me._ Bucky didn't need to say it out loud. "Are you saying he was a pawn?"

Gerald reached over the large slab of mahogany, grabbing the file to his right. He slipped through it and let out shout of triumph. "Precisely, Niko Constantin, was not the mastermind he claimed to be. He was being used, but he knew it. He was hired, and you and I both know what the payment was."

"Revenge." Bucky said, he frowned. "You followed the money?"

Gerald nodded. "I was only able to after his organization dissolved, it may not have been his plan, but it was his men and execution."

"Niko wouldn't have cared what the goal of the plan was if it got him what he wanted. Niko only wanted to make me pay, whoever funded him gave him that chance."

Gerald nodded. "I planned on telling you this, but…"

Bucky nodded. "I know, I'm a mess. Just losing Maria…it's hard to breathe."

"You're drowning."

"Are you throwing me a floaty?" Bucky quipped.

Gerald smirked. "Yes, James, you are a man of action, focus. You need an objective."

"And what is my objective?"

"A little revenge yourself."

Bucky frowned at that, he wasn't sure Maria would want him going down this path, but the gnawing he felt in his chest and the ache in his bones wanted nothing else. _I need to be better, but…what if I can't. The instincts are still there. I'm not a good guy, but I'm not bad either._ Weighing the options, but not the cost, Bucky looked at Gerald. "Who funded him?"

"None other than Baron Helmut Zemo."

Bucky's eyes widened and he instantly felt himself awaken with rage. _The one that I was meant to spy on for Fury. The old guard to Hydra, what is the prestigious Baron planning?_ "Are you sure? I know Niko had been a guest of Helmut Zemo, but that was it. We didn't find anything else between the two."

Gerald nodded. "Without a doubt, Zemo is good, but I'm better. I can find anything."

Bucky smirked. "What's the plan?"

"I'm going to put out a little fish, asking about Zemo. See if I can find any big fish in the water."

"What about Steve?"

"Forget Steve." Gerald said. "This is about you and Zemo. You are in his plans for something, and getting you isolated from Steve and the Avengers is what he wanted."

"Then I should tell them."

"Not this time, it's time for a little cloak and dagger."

"It's been a long time since we've done that Gerald."

"I hear it's like riding a bike."

Bucky took a deep breath, but he wanted to make Zemo pay, he brought Niko Constantin back into the fold and it got Maria killed. Bucky was going to make sure he regretted making that decision. "Alright, let's find some big fish."

"I have a lead about Zemo, not concrete, but you can check it out while I go fishing."

"Where is this lead?"

"Germany."

 _ **Steve**_

Steve stared at the large screen that covered the entire wall of the Operations room. He was looking at the pictures of Ariko Domen, Natasha had gotten them from Fury. "Do we have the address of her apartment?" Steve asked, not taking his eyes off the pictures as they continued to cycle through. "We do." A technician said. Steve nodded, "Display."

The screen flashed white as the apartment of Ariko Domen appeared. "Nat, did Fury give us the number of times she had come and gone?"

Natasha walked over to one of the many consoles and pressed a few buttons. "Got it here."

"What are you thinking Cap?" Sam asked from his right. Steve frowned, "not sure, she came back to her apartment a few hours ago. Does Fury have records on any others coming and going?"

"You really have to ask?" Natasha said, bringing the information up onto the screen. Steve smirked as the saw the footage of numerous tenets coming and going. "Isolate it to when Ariko Domen arrived herself."

Steve waited as the footage sped up and then stopped and resumed. They watched as two men walked up the steps to the apartment building. One was wearing a hat; his suit was stylish and he had a cane as well. The other man was dressed much less savvy and wore a simple leather jacket, dark in color. No hat, it allowed them to see his white hair. Then as the two men entered, the one with white hair turned to look out at the street. Steve didn't even have to order to have the footage stop, Natasha was already ahead of him, zooming in on the man's face. The image got cleaned up and Natasha started to run it along with their database. S.H.I.E.L.D. had an impressive database, and if this guy wasn't on it, he wasn't important.

The database came up with nothing. The mood of the room went sour, Steve frowned. Can you piggy back off the C.I.A.?"

"I can, but it would be illegal." Natasha said. Steve nodded, "can you do it?"

Natasha scoffed. "Easy."

She hadn't been kidding, Steve and Sam watched the red headed spy at work, her fingers blurred on the keyboard and then they got a hit. Natasha stood up straight and smirked at her work. "His name is Otto Vermis."

Steve frowned as he heard the name and there was a picture with a much better resolution. "I recognize him." He said softly. Steve thought back to when he was walking out of Alexander Pierce's office. He saw a white-haired man glance at him as he went down the hallway. Steve opened his mouth slightly, "Before Hydra was ousted by S.H.I.E.L.D., do you remember handling a sect of rogue Ex-Hydra agents during out partnership?"

"Yeah, they were remnants of the old Guard. They weren't any better than Neo-Nazis at the time."

"Does Otto Vermis strike a chord?"

Natasha looked at Otto Vermis much closer than before, she studied his jawline and she noticed a scar above his eye, it ran along the side of his forehead and it would have gone into his hair and left a single line of scar tissue that no longer grew hair. "He was in a few of the recon photos, but we didn't find him at the compound."

"Well an Ex-Hydra agent who was part of the old Guard is now in the apartment of Ariko Domen. I think that gives rise to having a look."

"Let's not forget the man he seems to be following, can't see his face. He old Guard too?" Sam asked.

"Maybe, okay we're keeping this quiet. Nat, let's go. Sam, you too."

They left the Operations room and quickly outfitted themselves with the bare minimum of gear. Steve snapped the hologram shield device that Stark made him on his wrist. Natasha had a few little shock discs. She stuck one Glock into an ankle holster. Sam, wore a Beretta on his hip, hidden by his coat. He had his gauntlet that allowed him to control Red Wing as well. "Red Wing will watch our backs." Sam said as they climbed into a Quinjet.

Natasha flipped the switch she was after and the Quinjet turned invisible, the metal plating began to record the sky above them and displayed it over its hull. Much like how a Helicarrier could. She hit the button to her right and the ramp started its descent. Steve stood at its edge, the Quinjet was hovering over the roof of Ariko Domen's apartment building. "Which floor and room number again?" Sam asked, lightly swiping his hand across his gauntlet. Red Wing came out of Sam's pack on his thigh and its wings stayed within itself as it hovered there next to him. "Sixth floor, room 4446." Natasha called from the pilot seat. Steve nodded and leaped off the Quinjet and landed on the roof of the building gracefully.

Steve made his way to the door that led into the building. Sam directed Red Wing out of the Quinjet and around the building. Red Wing stayed in hover mode as it descended to the sixth-floor level and began scanning the floor for heat signatures. Sam saw the figures of the tenets and he noted that the room they wanted only had one in it. "Cap, the two men aren't in the apartment with her."

"Thanks for the heads up." Steve said as he calmly walked down the hallway toward room 4446. He stood at the door when he heard Sam's voice shoot back into his ear. "Hold up. There's someone in there with her, they just came out of nowhere."

"Red Wing notice anyone climbing in through a window?" Steve asked softly.

"Negative."

Steve nodded and he kicked Ariko Domen's door down. It fell away from its hinges and landed flat on its face. Stave entered the apartment to see Ariko Domen was in her apartment, tied to a chair. A man in dark clothing was kneeling next to her, his back to him. Steve took another step and the man turned, Steve moved as soon as he saw the man shift and a shuriken went past his face and sunk itself into the hallway wall with a thud. Steve came back with a sturdy stance as the dark cladded man stood and turned to face him. He was cladded in a dark combat suit with gauntlets and greaves that were accented in gold. His face was hidden behind a mask that covered everything but his eyes and a hood covered the rest of him.

"Ah, Captain America." The man said.

Steve activated the device on his wrist and a hologram version of his shield formed in front of him. The man nodded, "No talk, good." He reached up and pulled out a long sword, in honor of the Katana, but it looked quite different. Steve stood ready; not going to be the first to strike. The man chuckled as he went to strike. Steve shifted and dodged the swipe of the sword. The man shifted and the blade came flying up toward Steve's throat. Steve knocked the blade aside with the shield. He swung a punch, which the man blocked with one move and head butted him. Steve didn't register the hit as he swung the shield, the man ducked under the shield and lunged forward, dragging the sword across Steve's side, using his momentum. Steve felt the sting of the cold metal, he gritted his teeth as he blocked the next attack.

The man advanced and swung attack after attack. Steve blocked four quick strikes and swung his own. He connected his fist to the man's masked face. The sword came around, Steve dove over the couch and came up to see the man throwing more shurikens. He dodged two and the third sunk one of its metal tips into his forearm. "Your slower than I remember, or maybe I'm faster."

Steve frowned, if the man wanted fast, then he'd give it to him. He deactivated the shield hologram and advanced on the man. The man stood ready as Steve swung a punch, the man dodged it easily, but that was the point. Steve immediately brought his leg up and kicked him in the chest. Sending him back into the wall, making the dry-wall bend inward. The man fell to the floor, his hand on his chest where there was a dent in his lightweight Kevlar micro-fabric armor.

Steve grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him back into the wall. The man pulled a knife and went to drive it into Steve's throat. He found the knife stopping an inch from the Captain's flesh. Steve's hand was holding the mans and he snapped the man's wrist. The man didn't scream or grimace, his eyes only seemed to become more focused. "Who are you?"

"More importantly, who are we." The man calmly said as he snapped his wrist back into place and kicked Steve in the knee. Steve let go of the man's throat and dodged the sword as it came to try and go through his abdomen. Steve grabbed the man and threw him into the kitchen.

Dirty plates clattered and smashed against the floor. Steve moved upon the man as he laid there. He stared down at the man's limp body. "Sam." Steve said.

"Almost there, just got to the floor."

Steve sighed and pulled the shuriken out of his forearm and dropped it to the floor with a metal clank. If he hadn't had the superhuman reaction time, it would have been too late. Steve moved his hands forward and stopped the blade. The man stared intensely at him as he pushed the sword forward and it shook slightly from Steve keeping it in place. "Be seeing you, Captain Rogers."

Steve was engulfed in smoke and he felt the sword leave from between his hands. He stood ready for another attack, but nothing came. The smoke dissipated quickly, resulting in Steve being the only one in the apartment. He sighed a she walked round the counter and to Ariko Domen who was still tied to the chair. Sam entered the room as Steve knelt down next to her, finding her dead and staring blankly at him. "Steve, where's the…"

"The ninja got away." Steve said bluntly, he was more focused on Ariko Domen, who was missing her hands. Steve looked around and he didn't see them. Sam was soon joined by Natasha, who had left the Quinjet in auto-pilot. Steve looked at Ariko's wristed, one was cauterized and another was not, but it showed no signs of bleeding. _The second was removed after she was already dead._ He looked at Natasha. "We've stumbled into a mess."

 _ **Bucky**_

He hadn't been to Hamburg, Germany in years. Bucky got into Germany easy enough, the Quinjet was a help, but almost every city seemed to be on the lookout for the Winter Soldier. Bucky was in a simple get-up. His olive-green jacket covered up his metal biotic arm. He wore thin black gloves as always and he had a ball cap on. The disguise actually worked quiet well, Steve in his simplicity, made the most boring disguise, even cops didn't care.

Bucky had stolen a car as soon as he got into the city, he was now sitting at the wheel, calmly staring at the Field Office of the German equivalent of the FBI, the BND. The information he needed was in there, apparently a man jumped or had been thrown out of a window. The man was old, but when the police got to his room, they saw what none of them wanted to see, especially in Germany. There were Nazis symbols everywhere, and files with the dark swastika stamped on the front. The News in Germany had been talking about it for a while now, and the investigation was ongoing. Bucky and Gerald had a hunch that Zemo was up to something. Bucky knew that Zemo's grandfather and father were Nazis, but they weren't the traditional ones, they were more aligned with Hydra, which like Hitler, wanted to control the world, but they were focused on not just the world, but the myths of the world. Myths they now knew to be true, Asgard, aliens, and fantastical beasts that Thor would have called normal.

There was no evidence that Helmut Zemo was Hydra, or any ties other than family members who had died when the war was won. Bucky wasn't so sure though. From what he gathered on Zemo before Niko caused the biggest diversion he'd over heard of. Zemo's ties were to the Old Guard, which was nothing like the Hydra everyone knew now. They weren't even like the ones that grew within S.H.I.E.L.D. The one that he served as their mindless assassin who shaped the century. Not a lot of people knew this, but there were now three renditions of Hydra. Red Skull, then Armin Zola. The third was called the Old Guard, they were Hydra, before there was even a name. A sect of German Aristocracy, who played their hand well. Then once Schmidt took over and coined the name Hydra, the Old Guard faded away.

Bucky remembered a few things from when he was Hydra's puppet and one was that Zola talked about the Old Guard a lot. Never to his minions, but to the man who had his mind wiped every other day. Bucky gathered Zola liked reminiscing about them. Even with all the effort in keeping him mentally castrated, things slipped through the cracks. Although, along with Zola, Bucky thought that the Old Guard had gone, but now it seemed they played the long game, and perhaps Helmut Zemo was the mastermind behind it.

If so, Bucky was going to ruin it all, he was going to burn it to the ground. It was the sweetest revenge he could think of, ridding Hydra once and for all. Bucky shifted in his seat, he needed to get back to the task at hand. Gerald had tracked down the files that were taken from the dead Nazis' apartment were in there and he had a limited window till they were sent to the BND headquarters in Berlin. Bucky wasn't going to steal them, he just wanted to make a few copies.

Going forward with the plan, he started his infiltration. The main entrance wasn't the problem, he knew every entrance to the building and there was always the least glamourous, but he wouldn't be going underground tonight. He planned his timing with the group that were taking the files to Berlin. Bucky had it all planned, he then saw the truck. He smirked as he got out of the car and started walking along the sidewalk. It was late and there was a gap in-between the street lights where he would make his move. Counting the seconds, making sure he had the timing right, the truck entered the dark zone and Bucky dove to the ground and rolled under the truck. Grabbing the undercarriage and lifting himself off the road in one fluid motion. He was in, and no one was the wiser.

Bucky stayed patient as the truck entered through the security gate. Bucky reached up and pressed a button of the small device attached to the inside of his jacket. It cloaked him from the security measures. Bucky noticed the dog coming and he had that planned out too. Reaching in his jacket pocket he pulled out a meatball. When the dog stopped and started to sniff under the truck and he met eyes with the pooch that could tear his throat out, he tossed the meatball to it. The dog, caught the meatball in the air and scarfed it down and licked its chops as it refrained from alerting its handler that a man was hanging onto the undercarriage of the truck they were inspecting.

He was in and when the truck was parked and he was sure that the men who were here to collect the files had entered the building he rolled out from under the truck. Bucky faded from view as he got to the edge of the building. He reached up and grabbed the wall with his metal hand and he increased his strength and dug his fingers in. They didn't go through the wall, but he was able to scale it now. Bucky climbed up the wall, he had to put his real fingers in the finger holes when his metal one would move on. It was a strenuous process, but he made it to the roof. He noticed a guard was standing on the other side, he raised an eyebrow. _Increased the security._ Bucky lightly padded his way toward the door that would let him into the building, but first, he needed to deal with the guard.

Bucky snuck up on him and grabbed him. His metal hand clamping his mouth closed, he could only mumble as he was launched back into the roof. Bucky smacked him hard on the side of the head. When he was convinced that the guard was out, he let go of the man's face. The skin around the guard's mouth already turning purple from the amount of force Bucky had used. He saw a security key card, he quickly yanked it off its retractable line and went to the door. He swiped the key card and the door unlocked. He was in, now it was the hard part.

Bucky moved through the darkened rooms, luckily, he didn't have to do this during the day. Bucky hugged the wall as he peered around it, spotting the team of four that were there to get the files. They were being stopped and having their I.D.'s run. The BND was being thorough, Bucky couldn't blame them. He went the opposite direction, right for the evidence. He had to get a simple security door open, the device that got the six-digit code unlocked in only a matter of seconds was thanks to Gerald. Bucky wasn't going to lie, he was enjoying himself.

Opening the door slowly and letting it close just as slow, the lock clicking as it shut. He was free to copy to his heart' content. As long as he didn't take forever. Bucky already knew what he was supposed to be looking for, he found and yanked the box of files off the metal shelf. His fingers flew through the files a she found the one he was most interested in. Bucky wasn't sure if they had looked through them already, but the file he had in his hand was even locked with an evidence tag. In fact, they all were. _Not just anyone was allowed to read these._ Bucky needed to break the tag if he wanted to copy it, so he did. It was full of pages that were blacked out and then there were some coordinates that were not. Bucky pulled out a little camera and snapped a few pictures. He moved on and he saw a list of locations. Along with the coordinates they were pictured and moved past.

Bucky was starting to think he wasn't going to find anything till toward the back end of the file, there it was. It was a single piece of paper that wasn't blacked out at all. Bucky began to read it, it mentioned an organization he didn't recognize. But, it was the final line that got him. "Bang."

Bucky looked up and he heard a beep come from the filling box, he dropped everything and ran for the door. As he opened it the box exploded. He was thrown forward, leaving the room and landing on a desk, rolling off and hitting the floor as glass and debris went everywhere. The room was up in flames, his ears were ringing, and he couldn't breathe. Bucky coughed and coughed as he rolled off his back. He felt a slight burn as he went to stand, he looked down and saw a piece of metal in his leg. He ripped it out and saw what it came from. The metal shelves that held all the evidence were blown to pieces. Bucky noticed that three BND agents were lying on the floor dead, their bodies riddled with small shards of steel.

Bucky got to his feet and he heard shouting. He quickly ran to the other end of the room where a stairwell was. Climbing up the stairs he needed to get to the security room where the camera footage would be. He got to the door and pushed it open, entering the security room where two guards were watching the footage. Bucky heard them talking in German. "Someone blew up the evidence room."

"Knowing our luck, it was the Winter Soldier, cleaning up more Nazis messes. He probably threw the old man out the window."

The one on the left looked back to see Bucky standing there. He went to shoot when Bucky pulled out a pistol and shot him in the head. The guard's body slammed onto the console in front of him and blood flowed over the buttons. "Erase the tapes." Bucky ordered as he pressed the pistol into the other guard's head. The man was yammering in German about him not killing him and that he had a family. Bucky frowned and ordered in German. "Shut up and erase the tapes, or you die."

The guard complied and erased the footage, Bucky sighed and went to leave. When the guard stood and reached for his own gun. Bucky reacted on pure instinct and shot him in the chest twice and as the man fell back, he put a third into his head. Bucky gritted his teeth as he went to leave. _Two more bodies to the Winter Soldier._ He regretted coming to Hamburg, perhaps he shouldn't be doing this. But no time to think, he needed to get out of the building, then out of the city.

 _ **Baron Zemo**_

"Did he live?"

Zemo was lying on the couch of his hotel suite when he asked the question. Otto gave him a nod. "Good, nothing like having more fuel to the fire."

"Release the pictures?" Otto asked.

Zemo sighed, "No, I'm sure we'll see James Barnes again, let this cock up be what it was." Otto nodded and leaned back into his chair. "Any progress on our Domen girl's intel?"

"Still working it all out, but she did give us one of their locations they use for smuggling."

Zemo hummed his appreciation to the Domen girl, he wondered if she was all right with losing a hand and some teeth. Otherwise he left her intact, physically anyway, mentally…that would be determined. "Has our little double Agent friend, Ariko Domen been to the hospital?" he asked out of curiosity. Otto cleared his throat, never a good sign. "What?" Zemo asked, sitting up from his relaxed position. "It's on the news right now, Captain America discovered an Ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent killed in her home. The other details that we know of are being held back, as usual."

"Oh, I bet, Secretary Ross wouldn't want the public to know that Ariko Domen was a traitor, with her being a spy and all. He wants people to focus on the Winter Soldier." Zemo thought about for a moment. He could use this as an advantage, "Otto, give that loud Newspaper Editor at the Daily Bugle the next clue as to where the Winter Soldier could be."

"Is it the one…?"

"Yes Otto. Now, did anyone enter that apartment after we left, besides Steve Rogers?"

Otto did a little scanning of their information. "Yep, a man I think you recognize."

Zemo stood up and walked over to the computer, seeing the man from the Dark Ocean Society meeting. Ronin was the name he recalled, more of a title really. "Interesting, things may be looking up, especially since Steve Rogers and his Avengers have caught onto the Dark Ocean Society's doings."

"Bad luck for them." Otto said with a chuckle.

Zemo nodded as he went back to the couch. He sat down and he took a deep breath. "Is my meeting with Senator Gillman all set up?"

"Yes, tomorrow, a nice lunch."

"Good, time to focus on our own turf." Zemo laid back down and closed his eyes as he resumed the classical music he was listening to before Otto told him that James Barnes was going for the files in Hamburg.


End file.
